Cider Pressing and Home Study all in one weekend

Howdy folks. Incredible weekend. We received the rough draft of our home study on Friday which was followed by the updated version of our home study contract on Saturday. We had the chance to review the contents of the twenty page home study document this weekend and will send it back to our caseworker in the morning for her to review. Her goal is to send it onto the agency in Virginia by Thanksgiving. Once this is approved we will send in our I-600 application. Moving forward..praise the Lord. Thanks for your prayers and words of encouragement as we continue to slowly meander through this process.


We did some cider pressing this weekend which will be the last of the season.
Our neighbor has an old press from the 1800's which just adds to the beauty of the experience.
I don't think I have ever tasted such yummy cider in my whole life.


As for other happenings, not all that much to report. We are just enjoying each others company as we prepare to hunker down for the long winter ahead. We have already broken into the hot cocoa, the wool sweaters, and I will soon be putting my bike away for the winter. Randy on the other hand will ride through the winter with his studded tires. He is so hard core.

Lastly, Grayson asked if we could go to Jerusalem today. I told him that would be a pretty expensive trip and we would have to save for a long time. He chimed in, "After we go and get the baby in Rwanda, then we can start saving to visit Jerusalem." I asked why he wanted to visit there and he remarked, "That's where Jesus was and I would like to go someplace that Jesus visited as well." So maybe we will be heading to Jerusalem sometime in the future. Who knows where our footsteps will take us.

The weekend

Finally a weekend where we can be a little lazier than usual, no major running around to speak of, hot cider on the stove, pizza dough rising... I am Laura Ingalls or so I like to imagine. I love nothing more than snuggling up with my warm cup of whatever and reading about this time period, fictionally of course. Jeanette Oke has done a beautiful job of capturing me through her Love Comes Softly series which I am almost finished with book 4 of 8. If you are looking for a little break from the day to day you are facing, I cannot recommend another book so full heartily. I think you'll love it.

As many of you know, I recently returned from a visit with my parents in Las Vegas. Here they are at Valley of Fire cuddling.



Here I am climbing about because thirty is the new twenty. I had a close call on one of the sandstone structures and began sliding rapidly, but thankfully caught myself on a ledge. Will gear up next time.



Going to get back to crocheting a blanket. I promise to share something when we hear from the home study folks. Lifting it up!

Coffee Anyone?

Alright, so I have got some very exciting news for all of you who like coffee...no love coffee. We have a fantastic opportunity to raise a few additional funds by selling some really good coffee. Please stop by our storefront at http://www.justlovecoffee.com/thestahleys From here you can purchase fair trade coffee or other delightful products. For every pound of coffee and T-shirt we sell, we receive $5.00 toward our adoption. What's even more incredible is that we can continue up to a year after the adoption is complete. Woo Hoo! It is possible to do a one time purchase by clicking on the individual bag on the lower section of the screen. The shipping is the same for two bags and what we have done is signed up to receive 2 bags every other month. So please share this link with your friends, your kin folk, or anyone that just likes a good cup of coffee.

Fall is slipping away and winter is sneaking in behind. We actually had flurries here today. Not sure how I feel about that, but with each season that passes, we are just a bit closer to meeting our little one. No new news on the adoption front. Please pray for our home study as it sits in limbo while we wait for our home study agency contract to be revamped to state all the specifics that need to be stated. It has been 10 weeks since we have completed our final meeting. I have not felt one bit anxious because the Lord has been carrying any raw emotion that attempts to seep in. He is soooooo good!

Bumps in the road, broken cars, and backpacks

It has been an interesting week or so since I have been in touch with you. I received a call early in the week with excellent news about our home study. We have been on pause for about eight weeks because of the the referral that is not set to happen for a very long time. But, our Maine case worker met with her agencies Central Office for a meeting to discuss our case and determine how they wanted to proceed with this adoption. It was decided after much discussion that they would like to continue to work with us but, would need to tweak our contract a bit so that the wording is very specific as to what services they are able to offer to us. So, with that being cleared up, we are hoping to receive that document in a week or so and then we will be able to review our much anticipated home study. We just continue to praise God for His perfect timing. Even though in the midst of the wait, it doesn't feel perfect, we are continuously encouraged by the fact that our Creator has "got this one all planned out."

Our car has kicked the bucket this week. We had a few opportunities to experience our car while overheating. Thankful that we are not in a desert nor were we far from where we could still be helped by friends. We think we have found another automobile that will be a good fit for our family. Interesting story...Randy was down in New Hampshire (he had just dropped me off at the Portland airport) to look at this car that we found through Uncle Henry's. Well, she is a beaut, minus the transmission (a rough shift into second gear) so Randy offered them less and they didn't take it. He leaves feeling very disappointed, but immediately begins to pray for the Lord's will, hoping that they will meet in the middle. About forty five minutes later, Randy gets a call from the little family owned dealership. The owner felt bad that Randy and Gray had driven four hours to look at the car and then asked if they put a new transmission into it, would he still be interested? Ummmmm...God, thank you for clarity. We are hoping to pick up our new addition (the car that is) next weekend if a few more things fall into place.

I am writing this post from Las Vegas, hence the airport drop-off. I am visiting my folks, taking in some mountain views, and eating...often. I am relaxing, reading, and jogging in an attempt to prepare for the next leg of the adoption process. We still have a long road ahead of us before we meet our little girl, and then a lifetime of adventure after we bring her home. Thank you for your continued prayers and support. We feel blessed to have each of you walking alongside us as we continue to hike uphill.

Kum-by-ya, my Lord, Kum-by-ya

Marshmallows, chocolate, and graham crackers, whoever decided that this would be a good combination was an absolute genius. We had a wonderful opportunity to camp out last weekend with some new friends. I have to say that it may have been one of the best times that we have had since moving to Maine.



The trees on the way to New Hampshire and Vermont were definitely in peak on both sides of the long stretch of Hwy 95.



There was a bit of rain the first night, but the following two days shared around a camp fire were truly memorable! We ate our fair share of snackies...had to if we were to stay warm through the below freezing nights.



I shared a tent with Gray and Randy shacked up with bears and a lone chipmunk in the lean-to. (there really were no bears at our site) I worried about Gray each night as he continued to snuggle deeper and deeper down into his sleeping bag, but he rose each morning bright eyed and bushy haired. It was our first trip with another family in quite a long time.

Actually we have only gone solo since having Grayson, our last trip with a group involved rafts, many laughs, and expensive pizza, but that is a story for another blog spot) Anyhow, if you are thinking that camping with kids is not pleasant, you are mistaken...just take more than your own with you.



Grayson and Dominik played all weekend. There was actually time for stimulating adult conversation over cocoa and chicken sausages. (again we wanted to be warm in our sleep)

So now we are home preparing our apartment for the pumpkin carving that is to commence this weekend. We watched a little pumpkin didy called, "Spookley the Square Pumpkin" (thanks mom...he has already asked to watch our special family movie in the morning again...this may be a re-gift if you have small children of your own, be on the lookout.) This will be Gray's first carving so I am anticipating a fun-filled evening.

A quick update on the adoption...we are still on hold. The snag started a couple of weeks ago but is nearly sorted out. I ask for prayer on the 20th when our home study coordinator shares our case with the central office. (our agency in Maine is not equipped to handle the referral process(this is when Rwanda refers a child to us, still very far away) and Rwanda is still firming up how they plan to proceed as they continue to lay down the foundations of international adoption with their country. Also, pray for the minister in Rwanda that works on the adoptions, her family has H1N1, so lift them up for a fast recovery.

That's how things are looking in the artic north. I should have more information next week and will be thrilled to share it. Until then, Kum-by-ya, my Lord, Kum-by-ya.

Not much going on here

I really haven't been putting off posting, but nothing has really been going in the world of adoption. The meeting portion of our home study has been complete for just over six weeks now and now we are still waiting for the written portion to make its way back to us. All in good time...Our God is faithful and I am holding true to the scripture that says "be anxious for nothing."

On other fronts things are well. Randy just might defend his thesis before Christmas which would be a load off of him as well as our family. Grayson has transitioned pretty well into the next round of school. They should be starting up this week with some curriculum so I am expecting that he will be creating haiku poems within the month. I have been enjoying the fall. I am not taking any course work this semester so that has left me with more time to spend with my family, read, crochet, and bake. The problem with me baking alongside Randy is that we may get fluffy for the winter. The good news is that we live up North, so fluffiness is flattering.

I will share more once more is available to be shared. But for now, take in the palette of colors that the Lord has blessed us with this fall. If you are in an area that appears to be palette less, just be still for a moment, something is bound to catch your eye.

Home study hoopla

Well, it's official...we have been approved. We had our final home study meeting yesterday and after all questions were answered and every past detail of our lives overturned, we have become approved to bring a child home from Rwanda. Our home will be approved for a healthy 0 to 8 year old! (please note, we have requested a girl under the age of one, which we couldn't be more thrilled about) When will our little one be home you might ask...Sometime within the next year would be my answer. Our home study will now be written, reviewed, re-written, re-reviewed, and then a final copy should be produced. Very exciting. With this document we will be able to apply for grants (YEAH) as well as fill out the application for immigration. Many details are still hinged on this document so I will keep you all posted as to when it has actually come into fruition.

More news on our front...Randy's folks will be joining us in a couple of days. The whole family is gearing up for a much needed visit with family. Grayson has been counting down the days until he can hug grandma and grandpa. I have a few ideas up my sleeve that involve salt water, sand, and seagulls, so we'll see where our anti bikini bodies land in the coming week.

Summer is coming to a close (farewell mosquitoes) and fall is knocking on our front door(hola snow). School will be in session in about one week. I have a lighter load this semester, with only one course while Randy will frantically be calculating how many words he needs come up with in order to create his thesis...he plans to defend it by Thanksgiving.

Gray has started at a new school and is transitioning nicely. He will be four in about a month which just about knocks my socks off. He makes me laugh daily and amazes me more often than that. I am such a proud mama.

Signing off with our heads lifted