Coffee Anyone??

Coffee...Just the word makes my mouth water.  One of my first acts every morning, eyes barely open, is to set a pot brewing in hopes that it will somehow help me to jumpstart the day.  My favorites are Starbucks and Gevalia, but we will be trying a new kind around the Strand household.  I registered today for a fundraiser with JustLove Coffee, a coffee company out of Murfreesboro, TN.  Their company developed a fundraising program after the founder and his wife went through the adoption process and felt the frustration, with other families, on the lack of a good fundraising model. For every item, including over twenty different coffees, purchased at our "store" we recieve a good portion of the proceeds.  If you are in need of coffee, or mugs, or scoops, you can visit our store at www.justlovecoffee.com/coffee4cherish We shall see if it ranks up there with Starbucks and Gevalia, though with it helping bring our girl home it might just outrank them!

Cherry's Fashion

I did it.  I broke down.  I bought clothes for her today.  I have been staying so strong and telling myself to deposit money into our adoption fund any time I'm tempted to buy something that makes me think, "Oh that would be so cute for Cherish."  Word of Wisdom...Do not walk through the children's section at Target when Easter Clearance is happening.  Outfit #1 Pink, tulle, sundress.  I showed Rocky and he got this silly smile on his face and said, "Who's that for?"  His grin got even bigger when I said, "It's for your daughter!"  Outfit #2 Navy sweater trimmed with white polka dots and wooden buttons with faux denim leggings topped with red polka dot ruffle and a little white sailboat anchor on the side...I mean really soooooo cute.  (Then I bought athletic shirts that seem to make up the boys current wardrobe, and they want to wear every day, these shirts were of course minus any ruffles or polka dots!)   I also bought size 2T hoping they will not be too small and maybe she can grow into them if she is younger than we expect.  So, now back on the staight and narrow, my spending moratorium must resume as we work to bring our girl home...in style at any rate!

Moving on Up...Slightly





Well we hoped to move up at least 4 spots from 21 to 17 but final word from our agency this week puts us at number 19 on the list.  I keep telling myself it is better than 21.  We also were told that it extends our estimated wait time for referral from 0-9 months to 0-12 months.  I admitted to my social worker that I could not help being disappointed about this and she reminded me how the process really works.  Just because we are 19 on the list does not mean we will necassarily be waiting for 19 placements ahead of us.  As the referrals come in they are matched according to gender, age, and medical conditions that each family has specified with their applications.  If other families on the list and our profiles are similar than the smallest number up on the list usually get priority for the referral.  Another variable is that we do not know what size and make up the referral groups will be each quarter.  I told my social worker we were praying for large referral groups:)  She said surprises do sometimes happen!!!  At any rate as everyone is so kind to remind me (lol), it will happen in God's timing and when it is supposed to.  In the meantime I'm biting my nails and trying not to become exasperated as I'm stretched to become a more patient person.  It drives me crazy that my husband is so matter of fact and laid back about it all, I mean I know it's good, it keeps me in perspective, but geez typically he's the one who wants everything done yesterday!!!
On another note, the referral group in March placed alot of children on the Waiting Child List due to ages and medical conditions that families on the waiting list are, for various reasons, unable to accept.  It breaks my heart in so many ways.  I hope and pray these children find forever families soon who are equipped to handle their emotional and medical conditions.  If you are interested in learning more about the Waiting Child Program you can visit our agency at holtinternational.org.