welcome

So late Thursday night we welcomed into our home two year old boy twins... thus I will not be blogging for quite some time!

Just kidding, I hope!

Now I am constantly reminding myself of how Jesus interjected himself into the midst of struggling, hurt, broken people. And how I want our story to mean something... I want to change the world, maybe two little boys at a time. And it might cost me what feels like everything right now. But that is what I want. We don't want to live an easy life, That's not what we were called to do. We were called to bring healing to the broken hearted and to care for the orphan and widow.

What is a little frustrating is that many people (we love dearly) think we're crazy for doing what Jesus asks us to do. But I'm a little raw right now, so I probably shouldn't say that... But I will.

Austin

In one week I leave for the Together for Adoption Conference. I am really starting to get excited.

I think the timing of this conference is providential. Yesterday we passed our home inspection and our home became certified for our foster to adopt adventures, now we are just waiting on our family to pass! And that meeting is two days after I return from the conference, and then we can accept placement!

I am going to the pre-conference day with Karyn Purvis, who wrote "The Connected Child". Which changed the way I parent, and really challenged me. I can't wait to hear from her.

Plus here are some of the amazing sessions I have signed up for:

- Church Centered International Orphan Care

- I am doing a lunch break out session about Human Trafficking and the Orphan with Tom Davis

- Becoming an Adoption Friendly Church: 20 ways to look after orphans

- HIV/AIDS and the global orphan emergency

- Digging Deeper into the theology of adoption

Plus I am staying with some pretty cool ladies (Jody, Amy, and a mystery room mate who I can't wait to meet.)

And I am hoping to hear some pretty cool music, because we'll be in the Live Music Capital of the WOLRD!

Maybe here, at Shady Grove for unplugged night on Thursday

And the Mean Eyed Cat Bar, a Johnny Cash fan like myself, for live music on Friday night!

And maybe some others!

Are you coming? Let's meet up!

Treism

We were at home depot the other day. And the man at the paint counter tried to give Tre a sticker.

He said, "Hey bud, here is a Mickey Mouse sticker!"

Tre said, " I don't like Mickey Mouse, No thank You."

The man was a little shocked, he said, "Well do you have a brother or sister you could give it to?"

Tre begins to ponder that question, and the man says, "That's an easy question you either do or you don't have a sibling."

And Tre responds, "Well, we're adoptidating them! And they live in Africa, and Mai lives in Thailand, and we have friends coming to live at our house too!"

I just pushed the cart away.

It isn't always a simple yes or no answer sir.

News

So we have some news.

Some big news actually.

News that required me to buy a crib today!

Nope.

Not pregnant. (I'm on a diet, so that would really screw that up!)

We are going to do foster (to adopt) care with a local county.

It's a big deal, that has been brewing for a long time, but we were keeping it under wraps, until now. We finished our classes, our home study has been completed, we have an update and an approval meeting, and then we'll be on the list.

Here are a few details...

- We will be opening our home to two children, either gender. Ages 3 or under. Not necessarily siblings.

- Our adoption from Ethiopia is on hold until we can sell our home. We have not lost any money or efforts, they are simply holding all of our paperwork to send to ethiopia as soon as we sell our home. (This decision was made by our international adoption agency.)

- we think we will be approved around the end of September, therefore able to accept placement sometime in October at the earliest.

- we are very excited to see how God has orchestrated all of this and will be sharing some of the amazing details in the days to come.

down the pike.

We are working on some exciting things around here, soon I will reveal, but not too soon, because then we might jinx ourselves!

Tre's new room

So here is Tre's new room. It is not finished, the finishing touches are coming, but I have been promising pics for too long to not deliver!

The room is inspired from the WWII era. His bed is an old bunker

bed that I covered in rope. I made a piece of wanna be nose art from a WWII plane and hung it on the wall.

Over his bed there are old chalks from the airport where his Dad works, they p

lace these around the wheels of airplanes when they are parked.

His shelves are full of pictures of David and I as youngsters, his grandfather's pilot hat, and model airplanes that represent some of the planes that his grandfather (David V. Purvis Sr.) flew.

This trunk I found at an outdoor market, look at the paper I found

inside it! I am going to frame this in his closet!

The gas tank next to is is an old army gas tank, I am hoping to make this a lamp.

This school desk I found at a garage sale, the bottom drawer opens, and it is full of Tre;s army guys. The helmet I found at Army Surplus, it is an old Russian star helmet, worn during WWII!

And my favorite part, is this picture. I found the poster at the Carnegie Science Center on our trip to Pittsburgh. I had it custom framed in the most ornate frame I could find, then lacquered it in this bright red!

There are still finishing touches, but you get the idea now!

Wordless Wednesday