Yard Sale Prep and Some Other Things

Well, the yard sale is only a week away, and I am trying my very best to keep the stress levels at a minimum. So far, I would give myself an A-. Over the last few days, I have spent a good bit of time sorting through donations and pricing different items. Everyone warned me that a LOT of work goes into a yard sale, and now that we are in the thick of it, I see that everyone was right! Still, I have been overwhelmed by the generosity of our friends, family members, faith family members, co-workers and even strangers. The donations for this sale have poured in. And so, while it is a whole lot to sort through, I am so humbled and amazed that so many people have freely given up their possessions to help us bring our little one home. We cannot thank you enough.

                                                  What used to be the garage and the hallway.

For today, I have taken a break from sorting and pricing to work on advertising. I have conquered Craigslist and AL.com (at least, I think I have), and I am working on Facebook now. (Side note: If you live in the Birmingham area, and feel so inclined, we would LOVE for you to advertise our yard sale on your Facebook page. Details are at the bottom of this post.) On top of all of that, our wonderful, incredible, beautiful small group has offered to turn this coming Tuesday night's Bible study into a sign making bonanza for the sale next Saturday. Thank you, thank you, thank you, sweet friends!

Switching gears, I had my individual interview on Monday of this week. It went really well. Apparently, having a "thorough" (to quote our sweet social worker) autobiography is a good thing. :) I was also fingerprinted this week. This is a HUGE prayer request for us. My fingerprints are very hard to read. Last year, when we were taking our foster care classes, we were both printed. Adam's came back fine, but mine were "unreadable." We were printed in November 2011 and are STILL not certified foster parents because my prints are yet to be cleared. For this reason, we would like to ask you to please, please pray that this set of prints gets cleared quickly, as we REALLY do not want to be held up for months and months with our adoption. Also, Adam had his individual interview today. Wahoo!

As we continue to move through this process, we cannot help but be amazed by God's goodness. He is providing for us in so many ways already, and that is a huge encouragement to us as we prepare for some of the harder days ahead. I pray that we will continue to rest in His goodness and in the truth that He alone is ultimately in control. I feel like I think about our little one more and more as the days and weeks go by. The last question I was asked on Monday was, "How do you feel about your adoption?" My answer? "Ready." And that is so true. I am so very ready to meet the little one God created for us to love forever. I am ready to know his/her different faces and cries, ready to hear his/her laugh, ready to finally be able to type "his" or "her" instead of his/her! I am ready to watch Adam be a dad, because I know he is going to be an incredible one, and I am ready to finally be a mom. I smile at the thought of it, of what our lives will look like at the end of this road. And I am so humbled that God chose this path for us.

"In their hearts, humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps." Proverbs 16:9

Love,
Baylor

**YARD SALE INFO: SATURDAY, JUNE 23. 7:00 AM-12:00 PM. 4009 MEADOWLAWN DRIVE, VESTAVIA HILLS, AL (CAHABA HEIGHTS)**

Come shop and support our adoption! We have TONS of great finds, including a washer/dryer set, patio furniture set, TVs, shelving and storage, living room furniture, full sets of cookware and dishes, baby clothes, kid toys and an ivory key upright piano, plus a whole lot more! We will also have coffee and treats available for purchase so you can snack while you shop. Most importantly, 100% of the profit from this sale will go directly toward funding our adoption. Come visit us on June 23 in Cahaba Heights!