What's Been Going On - 7 Months Paper Pregnant

Well, I'm getting over double ear infections, sinus infection, and bronchitis but Ashton has strep throat....ugh. Jason is praying that he will stay healthy and germ free!

This past weekend, we attended an adoption conference in Brentwood. We had a great day! We met several new couples who have already adopted, are in the process of adopting, and those just starting to research the options available. Topics included attachment & bonding; the do's and don'ts of raising adopting children; transracial adoption; domestic adoption; legal issues and financing; international 101; etc. I also learned about a local support group for adoptive moms...I think this will be very helpful in the months and years to come as we deal with issues such as attachment, longing for more info about birth parents, and transracial attitudes from society. It was a very informative day.

Today is our monthly conference call with our agency, so we are hoping for good news about more referrals in the weeks ahead. We continue to request your prayers that God will move in Ethiopia (and across the world as well as here at home) to form forever families.

Today also marks 7 months since our paperwork was submitted to Ethiopia and we became officially paper pregnant! At that time, we were told that our wait time for a referral (this is when we are matched with a child) would be 7-9 months, however the wait time is now 9-11 months. God has really been moving in the Ethiopian program, so we are hoping that the wait time will be reduced before too much longer! Regardless, though, we know that our Lord will reveal our child to us in His time....we certainly are anticipating that day!!!!!

Also, don't forget to check-out my latest John Deere tractor cake on the Sweet Treats blog!

What An Awesome Day

First of all, today is my 32nd birthday. Secondly, I won a case in court this morning that was very, very close. Thirdly, we found out that my Mom's headstone is ready to be delivered and set-up which is wonderful because it is going to be a beautiful memorial to her life. Lastly (but certainly equally important to the others), when I logged onto the Yahoo chat room for our agency, I discovered that 2 little girls were referred today! There is a rumor that there was a 3rd child but apparently that family does not participate in the Yahoo group, so we don't know them or any details about the child.

The referrals are so exciting! If you follow this blog at all, you have probably read of my concern about getting caught-up in the Ethiopian Court closures from Aug. to Oct. Right now, our agency states that the wait time for an infant girl is 9-11 months, however the current wait times are averaging around 10 months. Our 9 months will begin on March 25. I am hoping that by the time it becomes our turn that the wait time will be reduced back down to the previous wait time of 7-9 months. God is an awesome God and He certainly knows the desires of our hearts! We're learning to wait on Him daily, and at the same time, we are becoming increasingly excited about the future that He has planned for us! PLEASE KEEP PRAYING that forever families will be formed quickly!

A New Blog - Sweet Treats by Erica

I've started a new blog for my cakes and cookies and pies! Click here to visit Sweet Treats. If you are in the Middle Tennessee area, let me know if you want something sweet for your next special event! I love to bake for family and friends!

Dedication Service at Alvin C. York V.A. Hospital

On Monday, February 2, 2009, our family gathered with Mom's co-workers at the Alvin C. York Veterans Affairs Hospital in order to dedicate the mammography suite to Mom. Mom worked at the VA for 15 years and helped to establish the mammo program years ago and served as the mammographer until her death on November 5, 2008. It was a very touching ceremony in which tribute was paid to her life and legacy....of course, I cried ... a lot. It still doesn't seem real that Mom is in eternity.

I'm trying to figure-out how to include the video of the day, but until I can here is a slideshow of some of the pictures from this memorable event.

The message on the dedication placard:

Mom lived a life dedicated to God, her family, church, friends, patients, and employer. She is missed by so many people. I can't help but think, when people look at my life, is this (God's grace) what they see in my life? How about yours? We are on this earth only a short time so we need to treasure each moment and always remember that sometimes our lives are the only spiritual message that some people ever experience - are we honoring Him or disgracing Him? "Dedicated, Compassionate, Vibrant" - I hope to follow in my Mother's footsteps because she was certainly following in Christ's.

The placard that hangs beside the door to mammography.
What a tribute!

Passing the time baking

I enjoy practicing law by day and decorating cakes by night. This past week, two friends asked me to do cakes for them for the weekend, so I was pretty excited and very honored that they trusted my artistic skills ;) The chocolate heart cake was for the guys at Nissan in Jason's workgroup.

The first cake was a birthday cake for an Alabama fan. So far, this is one of my favorite cakes that I've made. I had a lot of fun doing it and even got to try a new technique - frozen buttercream transfer. It was chocolate cake with fudge filling and chocolate frosting (YUMMY). When the 30 something birthday boy picked it up Friday night, he was so excited and really seemed to like it - that makes it so worthwhile.

The second cake was for a polka dot Pooh themed baby shower. Pooh and Piglet are also buttercream transfers so that they match the plates. The dragonflies on the sides also match the plates, so I think it all came together pretty well.

Just because for the guys at Nissan:

For me, the adoption waiting game can be really hard, so I need an outlet and a productive activity that keeps my mind off the empty nursery in my house...so I turn to cake decorating. I wish I could make a career out of it because I enjoy it so much! Thanks for looking!