Our Adoption Story

Our adoption story has been a miraculous sprint, 

an outpouring of God's faithfulness,

and the love and support of 

family, friends, and adoption minded people around the world!!

If you are new to grown2worship 

and do not know how we started this particular journey...

you can find out here Ready...Set..Go

We began our journey to our three boys (ages 17, 11, and 9) on January 10th of this year.  

Homestudy complete February 20th.

Dossier to the Philippines March 20th.

 800A (immigration clearance) arrived April 12th.  

 May 8th officially matched with our boys!!!!

May 16th referral arrived.

June 4th legals arrived and overnighted 800 and 864 to immigration.

(we are waiting for 800 clearance, 

and passport, visa, and medical appointments to be able to travel to our sons)

To some this timeline may seem normal, or mean nothing at all.  

To us...this is a testimony of God's amazing plan for our family!!!

In the midst of distractions 

(Hubby's surgery, water damage to our home, broken washer, broken dishwasher, 

multiple flat tires, broken toilet, broken lawn mower, car trouble...) 

regardless of circumstances...

the adoption timeline continued to race forward. 

And as the enemy of our soul sent continuous costly distractions

 that prevented us from paying adoption fees...

Our heavenly father opened flood gates of provision

and provided EVERY PENNY of our agency and international fees

exactly when we needed it!!!!

For these boys we have prayed!!

For these boys we walk in faith!!

For these boys we open our hearts and love much!!

If you have met me, follow me on Facebook, or read my sporadic blog posts

You cannot miss my heart for adoption.  

It is NOT because I am good, and NOT because I am something special!!!

And it is NOT because we have had romantic, easy adoptions!!!

Christ has birthed this passion in our hearts

HE brings the orphan to his/her forever family!!!

He shows grace in the hard times

and heals the broken hearted!!

People are astonished that we would adopt three boys at the same time.

Then tell them that one will turn 18 soon after arriving home...

yep, folks stand with bug eyes and jaws dropped. 

At times it is difficult to explain God's will for our family.

It is hard for folks to wrap their brain around the concept of 

downsizing to feed more children.  

Well bloggy friends...

it is like this.  

The more we seek Christ,

the more we ask HIM to grow us in HIS image,

the more we ask HIM to break our hearts for what breaks HIS...

 We are more willing to trust him for the miraculous,

we can better love even when it is painful,

and we can walk forward even when we have no idea how it could possibly happen!

We know without a doubt that these three treasures are our sons!

Not because we have met them, or even spoken to them yet. 

We know because we have prayed.

We know because we asked Christ to open or close doors.

We know because our agency should have said no...the ICAB should have said no...

quit frankly, our bank account said no:)

But God does not need or rely on our abilities.  

And he certainly does not need an overflowing bank account.  

HE can take our mustard seed faith

stretch it

grow it

and transform it into more than we could hope for or imagine!

We are so very privileged to parent these silly geese,

and we are soooo very anxious to bring the next three treasures that God has chosen for us!!!

I stare at their faces on my computer screen, 

praying for Christ to prepare their hearts.

I wonder if my oldest son has a husky voice 

when his Filipino laced English greets me for the first time?? 

Does my second to youngest son wear his show stopping smile often,

 or does he reserve that for the camera?? 

Does my youngest son like to giggle as his eyes suggest, 

or does he take life a bit more seriously??

Will they want hugs from their mama as much as I long to give them...

or will I need to find different ways to show my unconditional love to them??

I may not have all the answers

but I do know that they are wanted, treasured, and loved!

I know they are worth the hard

every

day 

of 

the

week!

Christ has given us the privilege of being HIS hands and feet in the lives of HIS children.

We are blessed with a front row seat as God transforms beauty from ashes in each of our lives!!

I could never do enough to earn that privilege...

HE gives it freely.

We just need to be willing to exercise faith...and step out!!!

Catching up...a photo review!

Where oh where has the time gone??  

I have not written a post on here in what feels like forever!  

But as that last post from months ago shared...I am going to show myself grace:)  

How to sum up the past few months?  

Glorious, hard, exhilarating, humbling, priceless...

In this season once again Christ is stretching us, growing us, and taking us to new areas of praise.  

I am so very humbled to be married to this amazing man of God!  

He teaches us much about trusting our Savior and selflessly giving of his time and talents.  

He is not one to complain and has an amazing tolerance for pain.  

But my love was walking around with a bone spur you could hang a hat on, 

and bone fragments around his big toe caused by not having cartilage left in the joint.  

Add gout to the issue and he was in some serious pain.  

In March, surgery was necessary.  

If you have to go to the hospital with someone, my love is the guy to be there with!  

He was like a little boy playing with all the gadgets pre op, 

and had myself and the nurses rolling with laughter post op.  

We could not keep him down long!  The very next day he was setting up a work station at home!

He was a hard man to keep down, but we did get him out from time to time:)

Then, we celebrated a forever family day for our youngest baby girl.  

I simply cannot believe it has been 8 years already!!!!  

God is so very faithful and we are extremely thankful HE brought this treasure into our lives!!

Our girls were part of fine arts competition this year.  

Mélika participated in worship competition, 

and both girls were part of the human video team.

The all did a fabulous job and we are very proud of their efforts!!!!

We were blessed to have family in town for Easter again this year!!  

Although I dropped the ball and didn't get photos dressed up for church...

we did take a few of the creative way the kids had to work for their egg hunt.  

 Then this mama did something I never thought I would accomplish.  

I have always dreamed of doing a triathlon!

I was encouraged by a dear friend that took her health back and became an athlete.  

For my 40th birthday, my oldest baby girl gave me a very sacrificial gift...

she offered to train and compete with me in a sprint triathlon!!  

The pool was freezing!!!  

We rocked out the pool 

and were sooo very excited to move on to the bike!!!

then the run.

Our goals were to finish, not to walk, and not be last:)

I never dreamed of finishing 62 out of 168 women!!!  

It is time to sign up for the next race!!

Then, because we are suckers for a cute face...we got another puppy!

Just look at those legs...she is going to be a horse:)

Our Tucker boy tolerates her and they romp and play MUCH!!

We had a quarter auction fundraiser the beginning of May for our adoption!!

God is so very amazing and we were so very humbled and blessed 

by the generosity of those who donated and those who participated!!!

The next morning the girls and I got up bright and early to participate in a Warrior Run 

to raise money for missions.

They made the old lady wear the team number.

And we travel with out own paparazzi!!

It was a 4.6 mile run with 18 obstacles.  

We waded through chest deep quicksand like mud, over tractor tires and walls, under bridges and wires on our bellies...

but as we slid to the finish they washed much of our mud off:(

But we finished strong...

and were still smiling at the end!!

What a tremendous blessing to spend Mother's Day with this bunch!!!!

THEN...
Someone had a 14th birthday!!
All he asked for was to have the largest burger we could make him.  Steph cut him off at 2 pounds!!

Aaron LOVES fishing and has recently discovered fly fishing.
The boys went to a free clinic to see how to cast.
Aaron caught the first fish.

 And this is how he felt about getting his very own fly fishing pole for his birthday!!

Our children are growing far too fast for this mama's taste!

And somehow...right before my eyes...this one completed her high school career!!

I look forward to sharing in future posts about the next steps for our oldest baby girl

AND

the amazing adventures of this adoption journey we have been on!!!!

Puzzle Fundraiser...Missing Pieces

UPDATE AT BOTTOM!!

We are so very excited for all God is doing in this adoption process!!!  

THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU

to all who have generously donated so far to help bring our boys home!!!!

We took this photo of our family showing our "missing pieces"

We made it into a puzzle

and started filling in pieces from earlier donations that were graciously given 

at the beginning of the journey.  

Then we added the pieces that were purchased since February 14th!!!

Could this piece have your name on it??

HOW IT WORKS...

1. Each piece of the puzzle costs $20 (you can purchase one piece or several pieces)

2. To purchase please click the paypal DONATE button on the right of this blog page
    OR
    you can make a TAX DEDUCTIBLE donation by sending a check to our adoption agency.  For
    the tax deductible option...please make checks out to:  Christian Adoption Services (please do
    NOT put our name anywhere on the check, instead please add a post it note or paperclip a note to
    the check saying you would like the donation to be placed on the Boutin adoption.  If you do not
    add the note, the donation will go to the agency general fund.)
    The address to mail the check is: Christian Adoption Services
                                                          624-100 Matthews-Mint Hill Rd
                                                          Matthews, NC 28105

3. When pieces are purchased we will write your name on the back of the piece(s) to have a lasting

    memory of those who helped bring our sons home.

  

4. Once the pieces have been "sold" and the puzzle put together, we will frame it (double sided

    glass) and hang it in our home as another example of God's faithfulness.  We will have something

    tangible to show our boys all the wonderful people who gave generously to bring them home!! 

5. We will update our progress regularly to show how the puzzle is forming!!

Because we are transparent and sharing this journey OUTLOUD...

(some of our fees are more due to bringing three boys home at the same time:)

Application/E-adopt fees: $350 PAID

Homestudy: $1,100 PAID

Dossier Fee: $1,000 PAID

Psychological update: $330 PAID

I-800A immigration: $890 PAID

Agency Coordination fees: $4,500 PAID
Liaison fee: $600 PAID
ICAB Application and processing: $300 PAID
Additional Child fee: $2,000  PAID
Postplacement Supervision & Adoption: $4,250  PAID
ICAB pretravel processing: $3,000  PAID
Orphanage Contribution: $1,000  PAID
ICAB preplacement/Coordination fee:  $1,750  PAID
Finalization: $1,100  PAID

We have been officially matched with our boys and are waiting for visa, medical, and passports to be issued so they can come home.  (aprox. 3-4 months process)

WE ARE ABSOLUTELY SPEECHLESS OVER HOW GOD HAS MOVED MOUNTAINS TO BRING OUR BOYS HOME!!!  

Over 4 short months... through generous donations, our puzzle fundraiser, a grant from JSC foundation, and our quarter auction...ALL our agency and international fees have been PAID!!!!!  We are now working on gathering the money needed to book our flights for hubby and I, plus the return trip of the three boys.  We estimate our travel expenses to be approximately $7,000 (dependent on cost of flights and accommodations allowing us to put 5 to a room).  We currently have $1,210 toward that amount!!!!  

GOD IS SO VERY FAITHFUL IN PROVIDING FOR THE THINGS HE PLACES ON OUR HEARTS!!!  HE DOES PLACE THE LONELY IN THEIR OWN FAMILIES!!!!

In the Learning...Praise!

I am learning a few things about myself in this amazing journey God has us on...

One is that I am not consistent in my form of communication:)

There are seasons that I blog, seasons that I post snip-its on Facebook, seasons that I send more intimate email updates, and seasons where I appear to be missing in action.  I also have not taken a photo with my big girl camera for a very long time:)

There have been times where I have beat myself up about that lack of consistency.  

But I am learning grace can be extended to myself as well as others.  

Our days are FULL.  

We homeschool, Aaron played basketball and starts football tomorrow, the girls ride horses, Melika leads youth worship, and both Melika and Kylee are part of a human video team for fine arts.  

AND, this newly turned 40 mama has finally decided to do something that I have always wanted to do...I am participating in a sprint triathlon!!  

(AND, my baby girl, who thinks she is allergic to exercise, 

is doing it with me as my birthday present!!)

(Sprint because the distances are shorter...250m swim, 10 mile bike, 2.1 mile run)  

In the world of triathlons this is a baby race...in MY world...it is HUGE!!!

So, fitting training into an already busy schedule can be challenging.  

There is more I am learning in this journey...

motherhood does not equal wonder woman!

I am sure I am not the only one to find myself battling that syndrome.  

So often we place pressure on ourselves to be all and do all in our homes, for our husband, for our children, and in ministry.  

When in reality...I cannot do anything with success or excellence 

without the intervention of my Heavenly Father!!

When my focus and my praise is on HIM, 

instead of what I have or have not accomplished,

HE makes all things good in HIS time!!!

And Christ's time and way is always PERFECT!!

This next thing I have been working on learning for quite some time...

Christ is working behind the scenes (without my help)

even when things appear to be standing still!!!!

I am not quite sure if it is the type "A" in me or some other reason,

but I love for a decision to be made and then run that race until it is accomplished!!

WAITING IS HARD FOR ME!!

There is much waiting at this leg of our journey...

waiting for hubby's healing or surgery for his foot, 

waiting on immigration clearance,

waiting for our dossier to be mailed to the Philippines,

waiting for the official match for the boys,

waiting to see how God will provide financially for this adoption,

waiting to know the extent of the water damage on our home 

and if the insurance will cover any of it,

waiting to put the house on the market,

waiting to know if we will be here or in a different home 

when we bring our boys to their forever family,

yep...lots of waiting:):)

But, it is in the waiting that we have the privilege 

of resting in God's unfailing peace.  

When there are things for us to do,

 it is far too easy to try to take back some of the control 

that belongs in father God's capable hands!!

In these moments where I relinquish control to the one who had it all along...

then I am pliable in his hands.

In those moments HE can shape me and form me in HIS likeness.  

So in this season, 

where there is much to do,

grace to extend,

capes to remove,

and control to be relinquished (again)...

I am learning much as I praise the ONE who is worthy, righteous, honorable, loving, gracious, faithful, kind, unwavering, all knowing, most powerful....

In the learning as in the waiting...my heart will choose to praise!!!

Puzzle Fundraiser...Update!!!

We are so very excited for all God is doing in this adoption process!!!  

THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU

to all who have generously donated so far to help bring our boys home!!!!

We took this photo of our family showing our "missing pieces"

We made it into a puzzle

and started filling in pieces from earlier donations that were graciously given 

at the beginning of the journey.  

Then we added the pieces that were purchased since February 14th!!!

We have raised $2,065 since beginning our fundraiser!!!!

We need $1,535 more to be able to jump through the next hoop 

and send our dossier to the Philippines.

Could this piece have your name on it??

HOW IT WORKS...

1. Each piece of the puzzle costs $20 (you can purchase one piece or several pieces)

2. To purchase please click the paypal DONATE button on the right of this blog page
    OR
    you can make a TAX DEDUCTIBLE donation by sending a check to our adoption agency.  For
    the tax deductible option...please make checks out to:  Christian Adoption Services (please do
    NOT put our name anywhere on the check, instead please add a post it note or paperclip a note to
    the check saying you would like the donation to be placed on the Boutin adoption.  If you do not
    add the note, the donation will go to the agency general fund.)
    The address to mail the check is: Christian Adoption Services
                                                          624-100 Matthews-Mint Hill Rd
                                                          Matthews, NC 28105

3. When pieces are purchased we will write your name on the back of the piece(s) to have a lasting

    memory of those who helped bring our sons home.

  

4. Once the pieces have been "sold" and the puzzle put together, we will frame it (double sided

    glass) and hang it in our home as another example of God's faithfulness.  We will have something

    tangible to show our boys all the wonderful people who gave generously to bring them home!! 

5. We will update our progress regularly to show how the puzzle is forming!!

Because we are transparent and sharing this journey OUTLOUD...

Application/E-adopt fees: $350 PAID

Homestudy: $1,100 PAID

Dossier Fee: $1,000 PAID

Psychological update: $330 PAID

I-800A immigration: $890 PAID

The next chunk needed asap is $4,500 in agency fees to get our dossier to the Philippines.  We have paid $900 toward that fee so far:)

Our total adoption cost is estimated at $30,780.  

Although this amount looks ginormous...We know that we serve an even BIGGER GOD that places the lonely in their own families.  HE IS FAITHFUL and HE will move mightily to bring our boys home!!  

I have another request...

Would you consider sharing the link to this blog post on your blog, social media, or email your friend list??  We are hoping this will go viral and many will have the opportunity to participate in bringing three priceless treasures to their forever family!!