NO NEWS IS GOOD NEWS?????

Sorry I have not posted for a while about the adoption. So many of you have asked and I have not gotten back to you...Sorry for that.
I have heard NOTHING on the adoption front. As far as I know we are still #5 on the wait list...and waiting and waiting...No movement for some time now.
I am so torn between my feelings this time around. For the most part I have not been too stressed during the wait...but I have had a few moments lately. Okay, this weekend in particular. As I enjoyed my time with our families, I could not help but wonder about where my other daughter was...what she was doing, who was taking care of her, if she was in an orphanage, if she was being held and loved on....so many thoughts.
On the other hand, I can only imagine how sad it must be to be on the other side of our adoption...The family that will mourn the loss of their baby, no matter the circumstances. It just breaks my heart.
I am praying that God will protect our daughter and her birth family through this crazy process that will bring us together. I know she will have already been through some serious trauma in her little life before she will become a part of our family.
I guess that is why I am so eager to know her. To see the first photo of her little face. The little face I have imagined a thousand times and already love.
I am ready to get a move on, and see this happen.
I am also thinking of Bianca and just taking in our time together.
God has blessed us in such a wild & crazy way. I can only imagine what He has in store for our lives.
If you are a prayer person, please pray for Little Miss Sunshine today. I feel like she could use it.
And I PROMISE....as SOON as I know something I will post all about it!
Thanks for thinking of us!
Chantelle

Advent Conspiracy Promo Video

This is what it is really about. Check out this video before you start buying stuff...I have had several people refer to this video in and around my life in the past few weeks.
We fill our holidays with BUYING instead of LOVING and CARING...I am guilty.

More Birthday Fun & Room For One More Event

Hi everyone! Man, have we been in a whirlwind this week...In a good way. Bianca has had a birthday WEEK, we have been planning and had our first Room For One More event, and so much more!!!!
Bianca got the mother load gift from her Mimi & Pa on Sat. Here are a few fun pics when she got her Barbie Jammin' Jeep.

What lies underneath the sheet????

Oh, yeah...Pink is soooo her color!

Hanging with the fellas and her new rig.

Another B-day meal!!! I could get used to this...and I am of course, only helping eat this desert because Bianca "needs" my help....

Bianca is lovin' Mimi & Pa

I think we are going to retire the Birthday boppers this week. We got our money's worth on them and man, have I had my share of cake and ice cream....I think momma packed on a few extra pounds this week!
Today we had our first open house for Room for One More...Scroll down to learn about RFOM.
It was awesome. We had an excellent turn out and several people shared their adoption stories...Even a couple of dads. It was too cool. I loved meeting people who have such a desire to adopt...and a few women who feel so strongly about adopting-while their husbands are not anywhere near the same feeling. God has a way of working on people's hearts. I can't wait to see what happens.
God is good...All of the time. I need to have that tattooed on my forehead.
Here is a pic of the three us us that created Room For One More...And Check out the T-shirts!!! They are available for sale by the way!

I want to blog so much more about the event and how great it was, but I am totally checked out...A great, long, and exhausting day! I will give more details soon.
Thanks to every person who has supported this cause. I am awful about call backs, emailing, and just basic communication these days it seems! But we do love and appreciate everything people do to support the things we love-
And a special thanks to our families for being so supportive. Janis-Eric's mom is always ready and available to help and my mom-Jill has just really tried to support us as a family also. I am so glad that we live close to our family...One of the best decisions we have made... to move back closer to the people we love the most.
Love you guys
Chantelle

BIANCA TURNS 2 YEARS OLD!!!

What a B-Day Bianca had yesterday!!!! She had a full-on FREE day! People laugh about our Free days...We have several of them, mainly because I think it is cool. But yesterday added a whole new level of FREE to the day. Basically a no rules day....total freedom, with lots of dancing, singing, sugar, and lovin'.
She had a ball and so did we! Later this weekend we are going to do some more fun family stuff, and she is getting a really cool present from the grandparents on Saturday...Will post pics soon after.
Thanks to everyone who loves and supports Bianca. She is loved so big by so many, and that is just so huge for us also.
We Love Big- Chantelle, Eric & Bianca

This is Bianca's version of showing her new age! She is so pumped!

Let the sweets begin!

How sweet is this child? She is growing too fast, and her indpedence is in full form!


Bianca LOVED blowing out the candles this year...We did it over and over and over!

This little face is priceless...I am such a sap for this kid!

Of course, Bianca had a B-Day lunch with her best buddy Malaena-Sloane and Aunt Cheri

Check out the B-day bobbers...She rocked these all day!

INTRODUCING....ROOM FOR ONE MORE

Hi everyone! We are sooooo happy to announce the official launch of Room For One More. It has been a very long process to get to this point, but as of next Sunday, we are full steam ahead.
The idea for Room For One More started when a group of us (Shari Stroup, Shelly Nall & myself) starting some very long conversations. We are all adoptive moms and we all have such a heart for adoption. I remember countless conversations where we would all say some of the same things.
* I wish people could grasp the crazy huge blessing it is to be an adoptive parent
* What if every solid family/single woman/man in America chose to adopt ONE child?
* Why don't more people adopt?
* Why are there not more resources available to people interested in adoption?
* Why don't we do something about it?????????????
And the list goes on of course. I want to say, I realize not everyone is meant to adopt, though in my crazy mind I can't imagine why when I look at Bianca's little face...But I have had wise people tell me this so I trust it!
After many many of these conversations Room For One More was created...This is who we are:

A group of women drawn together by a passion for orphans. We are each adoptive moms and are committed to make a difference for orphans in the world. Room for One More is a place created to inform, counsel, educate, and help raise funding for families interested in adoption. We are passionate about this mission and eager and available to help those in need!
For those of you locally who follow the blog, we are having our first event Sunday Nov.16 at Cup-n-Cork in downtown Cape from 3-5pm. The month of November is Adoption Awareness Month, and in honor of this Room For One More is sponsoring an Adoption & Orphan Awareness Open House. There will be several adoptive families there available to talk to people about adoption. We will also have resources and information available for people interested in learning more about adoption. We welcome everyone to the event! We would love to see our friends and families show up to learn more and spread the word.
Here is the thing...I am here to help people...in many ways, but one of them is through adoption...I have a huge heart for adoption and I am so excited beyond words to help people exploring adoption...And it can be confusing at times!
I believe there will come a day where adoption is very common and most families choose to adopt a child in addition to bio kids....It will not be a last resort, but a common choice. And I see people already moving toward this. God clearly calls us to look after orphans, no doubt about it. I love the idea of seeing people step up, and once they do realizing it is the biggest gift they could ever receive...
Hey, it is my blog, so I can have my own vision for how I see the world, right? ha ha

Room For One More website is being built currently (THANK YOU ELEMENT74) I will post it as soon as it is finished.
T-shirts available!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Much Love!
Chantelle

It's Not Okay With Me....

I have been blown away over the past 3 days. I had a new friend tell me about a book that I HAD to read...I will be the first to admit- I rarely finish a book! I read about half way through and get distracted or move on to another "must read". I will say-and Eric can testify to this...I read this book within 2 days...And I would have read it in one sitting..but an almost 2 year old exists here, so it was not possible.
It rocked my world. I wanted to post about it yesterday but I was not sure what to even say about it... and I am still at a loss for the appropriate words.
IT'S NOT OKAY WITH ME -written by Janine Maxwell -The book I am speaking of. Have you ever read something and felt like it was written with you in mind? That is how I feel about this book, and the author-what an awesome woman. I am so happy that I slowed down enough to read this book. It has wrecked my world...in the right way.
It is tough to read, and yet so needed by everyone.
Janine Maxwell along with her husband also run Heart For Africa which is an awesome organization in itself. Take a look at what they are doing. Isn't it wild how God puts people, conversations, situations in our paths?...At just the right time?
If for no other reason, get this book if you have been feeling a bit sorry for yourself lately (I do this sometimes...I am sure I am the only one), or down on your luck...This is a good reality check for all of us.
If you feel like you are not doing something to make a difference in life....Let this book expose you to severe need and also give you an avenue to get involved.
I will have to write more later....Still porcessing.
Much Love-Chantelle