We Are Matched!

 

We have some exciting news to share... We were matched! For those of you that do not understand the adoption lingo, being matched means that we were chosen by a birth mom to adopt her baby. Those 3 little words "you've been matched" are the words we have been waiting 8 months to hear! Lord willing we will have baby Wall #3 in our arms in 1.5 months! My sister in law asked me if I was guardly optimistic, unsure if it's actually going to happen or excited... I responded by saying "all of the above!" The world of adoption is such a roller coaster of emotions that Dan and I have learned to guard our hearts almost to a fault. When I received the call that we had been matched I tried my hardest to respond with udder joy, while in the back of my head I struggled with doubt. I am beginning to feel more and more optimistic because everything keeps falling into place at the perfect time. Also, the more I learn about the birth mom the more excited I become. We are headed out to California next week to figure out more details and meet the birth mom, which we are super excited about! We both feel that the relationship between us and her is such a key part of this process which is why we are so excited to meet her.  Obviously nothing is set in stone and anything can happen between now and next month.  However, we are trusting the Lord and his will!

Prayer Requests:
-For the Lords will to be done
-For the birth mom
-For the baby
-For finances to fall into place
-Smooth adoption process
-Dan, Caleb, Peyton and my hearts to be prepared for lots of change

We are so ready to add another little one to our family!

*Pictures taken by Michelle Lee Photography for our adoption profile

Basketball & Baby

Wow, it's been a long time since I have sat down to write. We have been so busy with the hustle and bustle of life that I haven't even had time to think let alone write. This week we started our family's (and when I say "family's" I mean extended as well) favorite time if year! We all love the holidays.  However, if you know our family at all you know that our priorities go like this: # 1, our faith and relationship with Jesus, # 2, family and # 3, basketball. Let me give you a little insight to the Wall/ Showers families.  Both Dan's dad and my dad are Varsity girls coaches.  All of Dan's siblings, our sister-in-law, and Amanda and I played college basketball.  Dan's little brother is playing professionally in the Czech Republic.  Dan is the varsity boys coach here in Camp Verde.  I coach the JV girls, and both of my sister's in law have coached or are coaching presently. Whoa... That was a mouthful! I'm sure you get the picture to why this is our favorite time of year!:)

     

I have gotten many questions on how we both coach during the season with kids.  Well, thankfully, my kids do not know the difference.  They both have been in the gym from the time they were born. Where most kids get scared of the loud horn or the plethora of high school kids, my children welcome it and feel at home. Dan and I were recently talking about how thankful we are for our athletes because they play with/ watch our kids all the time and our kids love them.

                                

Although we are jumping head first into basketball season, I still daily think and pray, wondering when God will bless us with another child.  Patience is not my strong suit and throughout this whole process I have been tested and tested by God in that area. I always say, "If I had it my way I'd have 6 kids by now."  But my ways are not his ways and that has been very difficult to accept.  Constantly I have people reminding me that it will happen in God's timing and that is comforting to a degree.  However, when you are walking daily in the when's, what ifs, whys and so on it can be very challenging.

We are still working with an agency in CA and just recently had a slew of pictures taken for our adoptive profile! We are not closed to other avenues of adoption and want to continue to get our name out there, as you never know who will read this blog or who you will run into. Thank you so much for your continued prayers and the financial support we have received.  We continue to pray for baby Wall #3 as we cannot wait to see who God has in store for our family!

Life and Changes

Where do I even begin... life has been crazy in the Wall household lately. Between school, coaching, kids and adoption fundraising I have neglected to give any sorts of updates. Well here they all are in a nut shell. First, we dropped Talli off at college a few weeks ago and she seems to be loving it! ( We are so proud of her!) Caleb and Dan are very busy with school and the ins and outs of what it brings. Peyton and I are loving spending lots of time together while Caleb is at school. This has been a very special time for the two of us. I am also coaching Volleyball and enjoying spending time with my girls.  Call me crazy but I love high school kids. In the midst of our day to day craziness, we have been talking to an adoption agency based in California. We have officially sent off our first big payment to them and are so excited to see how things play out. The way we came across the agency Adopt4me was nothing short of God. Here is that story: A few months ago, without even knowing that we were looking for a new agency, my cousin met a lady on the beach in California. They got to talking about their kids and adoption and the lady ask my cousin if she was interested in adopting anymore.  My cousin told her that she was not interested but she knew someone who was. Well come to find out this lady works for a small adoption agency in California and they only take a few hand selected couples at a time. She gave my cousin her card and told her to have me call her. After I received the information, I stared at it for about a week not knowing what we should do. Finally after a little prodding from my cousin I gave her a call and I loved her and what their agency stood for.  Dan and I knew this was the route we needed to take. And the best part about all of this is that the ladies that work with us are strong believers! So here we are now... We are officially going on board with them and waiting for the right baby to be placed with us. We are relying on Gods timing and are so excited to see what the future brings. Whether it's 1 month or 12 months we are greatly anticipating baby Wall # 3!

 Thank you all so much for your constant prayers and financial support.  As we continue to move closer and closer to our goal each day, we are in complete awe of the generosity God has allowed us to experience through each of you. We will be having another yard sale in a few weeks so stay tuned for those dates. 

We recently got an amazing gift with this verse attached and it truly says it all!

"Rejoice in The Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!" Philippians 4:4

 
Here are a few pictures of our recent camping adventures!

+

Small Town

A few years back I wrote a compare and contrast paper on the small town life versus the big city life. I wrote this paper after growing up in a small town for 18 years, then experiencing 5 years of big city life. Starting the paper, I thought I knew the direction I was going to take. I was enjoying everything the big city life had to offer and was still thinking, 'I will never, and I mean never move back to Camp Verde."  As my paper began to develop, I was surprised at the shape it was taking.  I was beginning to see what I truly loved about growing up in a small town and what I enjoyed about the city was not looking as glamourous as in my younger days.

Now don't get me wrong, you can definitely find joy in each situation.  However, for me and my family, we have found our nitch back in the place that I said I would never live again. The reason I got thinking about that silly paper I wrote so many years ago is because of these hundreds of little magnets I've been making. I have been shocked, overwhelmed, amazed, and blessed by the outpouring of support from so many people.  But the coolest thing I've experienced is the incredible involvement from my old classmates. I'd have to say that more than half of my orders have come from the people I've gone to school with and their support and encouragement has hit me hard. This is just one thing I love about growing up in a close-knit community.  No matter what you're experiencing ( joy or heartache) people will rally around you.

Dan and I are so grateful for all the support and prayers we have receive while waiting for our next child. We cannot wait to introduce you to our new addition when he or she arrives in our arms and it is through Jesus Christ and with the support of all you that we are able to do this.  Thank you again!

Adoption update: 

We have had a number of possiblities and close calls that have fallen through.  However, we are confident in the Lord's timing and continue to pray for baby Wall #3. As we wait, we continue to save and raise money to make this whole thing possible. Stay tuned because as we learned with Peyton:   Circumstances can change instantly when God brings the right child into the picture! 

Adoption Fundraiser!

Hi everyone! We have been having a lot of fun making these cute magnets for an adoption fundraiser. We can make almost any color, design etc.

I can also do pictures as seen above ( grandma's this is a perfect way to show off your grandchildren!)

We have:

cowboy theme
sporty theme
faith theme
country theme
red, white and blue theme
teacher theme
Superhero theme
Cars theme
Flowers (lots of different themes)

Beach theme (pirates as well)
Music theme
Road signs theme
Camo theme

Baby boy or baby girl

And so many more...
(lots that aren't pictured, also if you have a special request I can do that as well)

We can mix and match as well.

You can tell me the color of your house, kitchen, dorm room, office etc. and I will find the perfect match for you. I can also send you a picture of a few different types you might like and you can choose.

These magnets make great gifts!

1 bag of 5 is $6
Or
1 bag of 10 is $10

Facebook or email me to order amy_showers@hotmail.com ( I will also ship, however there will be a small shipping fee depending on how many you order.)

Adoption update....

We have finally found another agency that we love and there are many exciting things to share. Stay tuned for a more lengthy update!

Talli

This is a post I have been waiting months to write. As a foster parent, you are told not to post pictures or information about your foster children online, and that is why it has taken me months and months to introduce you to our newest addition, Talli.

 

Talli has been living with us for about 8 months and I am so proud to say that she has now graduated high school and turned 18! ( and that is why, with her permission I can now share her with you all)

If there is one thing I have learned from this experience ( and there are about 100), it is:  Never tell God what you won't do! When Dan and I became foster parents, we stated very boldly that we will never and I mean never take in a teenager!  A couple years later... Surprise! We were blessed with Talli.  Dan and I had known Talli for the past 4 years, Dan being her teacher and I coaching her.  Because of the relationship we already shared with her, when we found out she needed a home we naturally welcomed her into ours.

When Talli came to live with us, my expertise included:  picking up toys, singing the ABC's and thinking up creative ways to trick a 2 year old into taking a nap.  Lately, life has morphed into curfews, mood swings and late night talks (which I love, when I can stay awake of course). Teenagers are way more complex than toddlers! Thankfully, Talli has fit into our family very well.  Both kids love her and she has many similar interests as us.  

Our experience hasn't always been cake ( nothing ever is).  However, the good far outweighs the challenges. We have grown to love and cherish this young girl and it has been so neat seeing her blossom into a young lady with goals, dreams and most importantly a relationship with Jesus Christ.  We can't wait to see what the future holds for her and the direction that God takes her! Happy Birthday Talli! We love you!

Laying it at His feet... An Adoption Update

Today, Dan and I went down to Phoenix to meet with our adoption agency. I want to say that everything went fine and dandy, but I would be lying.  The meeting itself it went well, good conversation and good information. However, at the end of the meeting, they told us that there was no longer funding for their expense assistance program and we would have to pay the entire amount... Over $30,000. My heart dropped and my mind began to wander, is this the right decision? Is there another option? Why would God make this so difficult? All we want is a baby that we can provide a loving home for.  Is that too much to ask?!  Just as I was being sucked into one of my pity parties Dan reminded me that God is in complete control.  He knows our hearts and has just the right baby for us in his perfect timing. ( God knew I needed a man like Dan in my life, he definitely keeps me accountable!) As we continued home, both of us in deep thought, I said: " We would've paid $30,000 for Peyton."  Dan just replied without hesitation, "We would've paid 10x 30,000 for Peyton." There is no price tag you can put on your children and I am officially laying this adoption at the feet of Jesus.  It is in his hands and I will trust!

With all that being said, I wanted to communicate that we are still 100% open to any other adoption avenues that come our way.  We will continue to move forward with Christian Family Care agency until God shuts the door, but are in no way tied down to just that option.  You never know who might read this or what could happen. We were blessed with Peyton through an amazing circumstance and will not close the doors on any possiblities. Please share our story, because God just might put you in the right place at the right time!

As always, we are extremely grateful for your support and prayers! -Dan, Amy, Caleb & Peyton