Summer 2016

Fun with sidewalk chalk and bubbles!

While we don't have much to report on the adoption front, I do want to be able to look back some day and reminisce about what we were doing while we were waiting. While we haven't exactly been sitting around feeling blue that we aren't quite where we thought we'd be this summer, we did feel like we needed to be intentional about adding experiences and making our summer as meaningful as possible. Avery has been waiting for a sibling for as long as we've been wanting to give her one and she's old enough that she's going to remember this time in her life so we are trying to make it a summer to remember - and possibly (hopefully!) her last as an only child. She loves coming up with names for her future sibling - the names right now are all "Harry Potter- centric."

We kicked off our summer with a Memorial Day 5K/10K. We walk and run at least 5 days a week so I thought it would be fun to do a family race. Shawn was less enthusiastic but he went along with it and he and Avery did a fantastic job on their first 5K race! I signed up for the 10K - my first- and I thought for sure I had made a huge mistake once we drove the course and I realized it was going to be a lot more hilly than the greenway we usually run. Shawn and Avery were my constant cheerleaders and my brother, Justin, was a pretty fabulous long distance coach. I was pretty proud of our accomplishment.

A ride in Nana's mustang never disappoints!

Shawn's grandmother passed away so we drove up to northern NY at the beginning of June. Although the trip was for a sad occasion we made the most of it by stopping in at my parent's in western NY and visiting our old stomping grounds in Syracuse. Shawn and I spent our first year of marriage in Syracuse so it was fun to check out all of our favorite spots. It's always funny to us to visit our first apartment - we had a 2 bedroom townhouse that had just been remodeled and we thought it was just the greatest. I'm sure it's gone downhill a little in the last 14 years but I'm pretty sure we were also blinded by love back then too. 

Shawn and I celebrated our 14th anniversary on June 15th. Our friends, Courtney and Wade, watched Avery for a few hours and Shawn and I enjoyed checking out Ponce City Market and a kid free meal. Avery joined us on our actual anniversary for lunch at Fickle Pickle.

Towards the end of June we took a long weekend and went to Jacksonville Beach, FL. On spring break we discovered that because Jacksonville isn't super touristy, the beaches aren't very crowded. We had two great days at the beach and we can't wait to go back. 

I took Avery for her first pedicure before we headed for the beach. She thinks we should go every week now since it is "so relaxing!"

Avery FINALLY learned to ride a two-wheeler!

On July 16th, Avery turned 7! I can not believe we have a 7 year old! On her birthday we went to a rescue zoo in north GA and toured a goldmine in Dahlonega. She chose to go out to a Ichiban for a fun hibachi supper. She is really into Harry Potter right now and is reading the 5th book so we knew she'd be thrilled with Hermione's robe and wand - her reaction and joy did not disappoint! We also spent some time the night before her birthday texting with Avery's birthmother. We are thankful every day that she chose us to be Avery's parents. Here are the pictures from when we met Avery for the first time. This was at 1AM after driving 11 from Charlotte to St. Louis with only 2 stops. :-) My goodness...we look like kids ourselves. :-)

We've still got a few weeks before the full madness of the school year begins so we hope to make a few more trips to the lake, the splashpad, and maybe some hiking. 

On July 1st our adoption liason retired. While we enjoyed working with her, we are looking forward to having someone fresh on our case. Our new contact person is the owner of the company so we are hopeful that her expertise will get us some traction. At this point, I think we are ruining their match time statistics. 

We have started a Facebook page and we're doing everything we can to network, in addition to the marketing efforts of our agency, but for some reason we just haven't caught the attention of any expectant moms. We've had a few friends send us adoption situations that they've seen posted on Facebook and we are so appreciative for these leads and we are checking each one out. Please continue to pray for us and share our story. We never imagined we'd be waiting this long but we are still confident that we were called to adopt again and we have faith that everything will work out just as God has planned. Thanks for sticking with us!

Spread the Word

Mini Spring Break weekend in Jacksonville, FL

Good afternoon friends, family and followers! I was ashamed to realize I hadn't written a blog post yet this year! The problem is, I write them frequently in my head and they rarely make it to the computer. We don't have a whole lot to update you with but we are hopeful that 2016 will be the year we become "party of four."

Jacksonville Beach

We've been enjoying spring in our house! It's fun to see what springs up. We had tons of daffodils in front of the house and around the mailbox and now we've got irises, azaleas, and roses in bloom! This past weekend Shawn and Avery planted some pots to add color to the front of the house and we discovered baby figs and baby pears have started growing in the backyard. Now, if we can keep them all alive it will be a miracle. We do not have green thumbs but love looking at flowers.

Jacksonville Zoo

Our agency keeps us updated with how many times they have sent our profile out to prospective birth mothers and how many views our profile is getting online. These numbers have been fairly steady but we still haven't made the connection with that special lady that we are hoping for. We are still hopeful though and we know that when the time does come we'll be able to look back and understand why we were meant to wait.

Hiking in the Georgia Mountains

We've been working the last few weeks to update our homestudy. It hasn't quite been another year but we need to have everything done so that our social worker can get it updated before the one from last year expires. Even though nothing has changed this required physicals for all of us, financial statements, verification of employment, fingerprinting for the FBI and GBI, and a few other forms. The fingerprinting is the silliest - we had to go to 2 different UPS stores - one for the FBI and one for the GBI. Our social worker came for a visit as well. She's a very sweet lady and Avery just loves her. We hope the next time we see her is for a post-placement visit.

We appreciate you sharing our story and helping us spread the word. We know our agency is promoting us but we are also hopeful that we can make a connection with a birthmother through mutual friends. Thanks to one of our friends giving me a contact that may have known of a possible birthmother, I called up a stranger ended up talking to her for quite a while. She and her husband adopted 7 months ago and she had heard of another woman considering adoption. She looked into it for me after talking and it turns out that her friend hasn't seen the woman again so she didn't have any more information. But, she has my contact info now and has shared our story with several of her friends so it's just that many more people helping us network.

Vogel State Park

We definitely have our days that are difficult but we have a pretty positive outlook most of the time. When we first began the process, I saw a diaper bag that I loved. Shawn told me just to buy it and we could add things that we bought for the baby in so it was ready to go when we got the call. Over the course of almost 2 years, that diaper bag is full of sleepers, sleep gowns, and burp cloths. Now, I was able to laugh about it, but the day I saw our diaper bag for sale in TJMaxx, I definitely had the thought of "we've been waiting so long our diaper bag is in TJMaxx!?" :-)

Running through the sprinkler! Looking forward to lots of backyard fun this summer!

Thanks for keeping us in your thoughts and prayers! Please feel free to share our blog and get in touch with us if you would like extra info or a profile to share with someone.

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

Happy Holidays from the Keims!

The fall and holiday season is a family favorite! I love all things pumpkin spice and cozy while Shawn and Avery love all things Halloween. All three of us love everything Christmas! We certainly never thought we'd be celebrating our second Christmas while still in the waiting period. Whether they publish it or not, every couple that is waiting to adopt has little milestones - that day of the month that marks another month of waiting, Mother's Day, Father's Day, a special vacation you imagined you'd be bringing your baby along for, and the holidays. For this reason there are lots of articles with ideas on how to survive the wait during the holidays. I read a few of them but I didn't really feel like they applied to us. We know we are incredibly lucky that we have Avery and that helps keep us positive - we love experiencing the magic of the holidays through her eyes. We are hopeful that next year will be the year we are celebrating with Avery AND her baby brother or sister.

 Avery had a big part in decorating this year.

We've had lots of adventures since my post last month - we've gotten back into running and walking in a big way! I hadn't run since August when I got a steal on a pair of new sneakers, went for a 3 mile run and got giant blisters on both heels that took over a month to heal. We've had a little friendly competition with my mom and my sister-in-law, Jill, on Map My Run. Our favorite place to run and walk is on the Big Creek Greenway. They have a boardwalk through the forest and swamps and it's been so refreshing to get outside and in nature. Avery has been with us every step of the way and she runs between Shawn and I so she probably doubles our milage. So far, for December, we are over 50 miles and hoping to get in 60 before the end of the year.

Our favorite trail.

Hiking around Lake Lanier.

We definitely miss our families at the holidays so we are especially grateful to have friends who are like family right here in Georgia. We had a plentiful Thanksgiving dinner with about 30 friends and then we took off to Memphis for the weekend. We went to Shiloh Battlefield as an early birthday present for Shawn and then we spent the rest of the weekend in Memphis. We went to the Lorraine Motel, where Martin Luther King, Jr. was killed, Beale Street, Sun Studios, Graceland, and the biggest Bass Pro Shops in a pyramid. It was a fun little road trip. 

We have also enjoyed driving around looking at Christmas lights, the lights at the Atlanta Botanical Gardens, watching Elf, and baking and decorating more cookies than we can ever eat. Tonight we plan to eat snack foods, watch A Christmas Story, and get to bed early so that Santa can come.

If you are friends with us on Facebook or have followed our journey for a while, you've probably seen Christmas Bear in our holiday photos. Some people have mentioned how freaky it is or that the kids are probably terrified by it. Here's the story of Christmas Bear: My mom has made no secret of the fact that she hates inflatables! One year after Christmas we saw this particular inflatable clearanced to 75% off so Shawn thought it would be fitting to send it to my mom as a joke for her February birthday. My mom promptly mailed Christmas Bear back to us and couldn't believe we had actually bought it and paid postage to send it to her. So, Shawn being Shawn, said ok, "We love Christmas, we're keeping it!" We have set it up every year and it has become a silly little tradition that we write where we are for Christmas that year and everyone who is together signs it. What started out as a joke has become kind of special to us and we love seeing where we were each year, who was together, and it jogs some memories as to what was happening in our life. That first year was 2007 - we were in the midst of fertility treatments and couldn't be too far from the hospital and my mom and dad came down to Charlotte for Christmas. 2008 - Just Shawn and I on Christmas morning but we flew out to my brother, Justin's, in Oregon later that day. Baby Maverick was just 6 weeks old so we got some first hand baby experiences with him. We were also in the process of signing on with Adoption Network Law Center because I remember using their computer to send some pictures to our adoption advisor. We were in Freedom, NY for 2009 and we were celebrating our first Christmas with Avery, our first Christmas as parents! We were in NY again for 2010 but at my sister, Katie's. 2011 - we were home, in Charlotte, for Christmas day and then went to Florida - where it was freezing! 2012 - back to Freedom. 2013 - in Georgia. 2014 - Freedom, NY. I'm not sure of the life span of inflatables but let's just say Christmas Bear is aging. He has a leak somewhere and isn't as robust as he used to be. I mentioned this to my mom, you know, the one who hates inflatables, and she said, "Oh you can't get rid of him! Can't you cut out the writing and put it on a quilt or something?!" So there you have it...a silly, precious tradition.

Friends helped us celebrate our first Christmas in Georgia.

Christmas with cousins in 2014.

Once again, there's not too much new on the adoption front. Our paper profile is currently in the hands of three expectant moms. Each of these ladies will have to make a choice. They might choose to parent or choose to make an adoption plan. We hope if they choose to make an adoption plan that one of these ladies will choose us. Our agency tracks the number of views on our online profile each month but that's not really an indicator of anything. We hope it is expectant mothers looking at our profile but it could also be other prospective adoptive couples, family members, basically anyone. Really the only important number is 1 - we just need one expectant mom to see something in us that she thinks might be worth pursuing, just one who wants to begin building a relationship with us. We hope she will see the love and stability we have to offer her child. 

We have been loving 70 degree days in December...and I still don't know where to look when taking a selfie. :-)

We are thankful every day for the choice Avery's birthmother made and we tell her that often. She and I text often and just this week she was telling me that she had mailed Avery a gift and then she added, "I'm so grateful she has you!" We in no way feel like we deserve Avery but we are ever so thankful and honored that she chose us. We look forward to building another unique relationship like that with the expectant mom who chooses us for this adoption. 

After having her face professionally painted twice in one day, Avery had new career aspirations.

I've done pretty good at not buying anything else for the baby until we are chosen. We have everything we need to be ready to go at a moment's notice but when I saw this canvas in a local boutique, I knew it belonged in our nursery. 

Thanks you friends for your continued support in 2015! Please continue to share our story and keep us in mind if you ever hear of someone considering adoption.

November is National Adoption Month

November is National Adoption Month so a blog post has been on my "to do" list for over a month. I told Shawn today that I hate writing again that we have no news but life does happen while we are waiting. I also know our friends and family want updates but are sometimes hesitant to ask. 

Scottsdale Farm

This is the "city" kind of pumpkin patch. Actually, it was perfect for a rainy day.

So although we don't have much to update you with on the adoption front, we do have a few life updates. In September we moved 10 miles north into a gorgeous 4 bedroom house. When we found this house we thought it was pretty close to our apartment but we've quickly learned that this is a completely different area with it's own little community feel. We live on a single street "subdivision" with 19 houses and we have what seems like to us, a giant backyard, complete with 4 pear trees and a fig tree. There are kids across the street and next door and Avery is loving it. The little boy next door is 5 and he and Avery hit it off the first day they met. One day a few weeks ago, she was in the backyard and he was in his backyard. The two of them talked to each other through the fence and the next thing we knew she was flying out the front door yelling, "I'm going to Keagan's!" 

We've had fun going to estate sales to find pieces, like this table, for our house.

Avery on the swingset that her daddy lovingly spent hours building.

Discovering we have a fig tree in the backyard.

Shawn also started a new job on October 16th. He had been looking for a while and was starting to get burned out on the daily grind of an assistant principal. He is now working for the Georgia Department of Education as a School Effectiveness Specialist. He has been shadowing his colleagues for a few weeks and it's been eye opening. They are working with schools that are in danger of being taken over by the state and their job is to work on strategies and plans to improve the schools and "get them off the list." It's been a huge adjustment, but in a good way. I was used to Shawn leaving at 7AM and not getting home until at least 6PM but now his office is at home and he does site visits to the schools and meets with his team about once a week. He also works from home most Fridays. It's been less than a month but I have a husband who is not stressed out and Avery has a daddy who is a lot more happy.

Friday field trip to Brasstown Bald - Highest Mt. in GA

When we moved in to our new house we hung our Adoption Fundraiser map right behind my desk so I can look at it everyday and dream about where our baby may be coming from. We've had several more generous donations to our fundraiser and we so appreciate everyone who is sticking with us, thinking of us and praying for our family during "the wait."

Friday field trip to Ponce City Market

So, let's see...on the adoption front...Our agent called us in September to ask if we would like to be presented to a potential birthmother who was due in January, gender unknown, no drugs, no alcohol, wanted an open adoption, from a state within a days driving distance, birthfather was not in the picture at all and lawyer fees would be potentially higher than average. To us this sounded too good to be true so we gave a resounding, "yes!" So for the next few days, we were hopeful but trying not to get our hopes up. That's a pretty impossible situation - of course we were hoping she would pick us, but...she didn't. That, my friends, is why they say the adoption journey is a roller coaster.

When we moved in to our new house, we had to update our homestudy. So that meant a visit from our social worker, Whitney. She has a daughter close to Avery's age so she totally knows what to talk to Avery about and Avery eats it up. Avery couldn't wait to give her the house tour and show off the future baby's room and of course her awesome bedroom that she thinks is bigger than the master bedroom.

Avery has a new smile!

Once we got her updated report we mailed that off to our agency. I called our agency to ask them to let us know when they got it and ended up asking a ton of questions that of course we didn't think to ask 18 months ago when we were eagerly jumping in to the process. I left that phone call feeling frustrated but also reassured that they are still working to promote us and show our profile. Believe me, when no one has chosen you for 18 months, you start questioning everything. We know that they can't make a match happen and that we have to trust that when it is the right time, we will "click" with the right birthmother. We are hoping and praying every day for a precious baby that needs a loving home. I'm pretty sure that when that happens, I'll be buying every item on Etsy that says, "Worth the wait."

Map Game Fundraiser Update

Last month we began our Map Game Fundraiser and it has been much more than just a fundraiser. If you missed the original post you can read about the Map Game here. It has been heartwarming to see the support for our adoption from our family, friends and acquaintances. At times we feel like this adoption is dragging on with no real end in sight and your response to our fundraiser has encouraged us and shown us that you are still thinking of us and praying for our family to grow.

Something that we didn't expect but have enjoyed the most about this fundraiser is the little stories or explanations as to why you chose a particular city as your guess. Many have chosen a city where they have family and have expressed that their family would be happy to help us while we are there. Others have chosen cities in neighboring states and expressed that they hoped we wouldn't have to travel too far. Still others explained their choice as a favorite college town or a city that would have a lot to keep us busy while we were waiting for approval to bring our baby home. We didn't ask for explanations with your guesses but they have been our favorite part and it's been so touching.

Avery has enjoyed helping me make the little map markers and then looking at where that city is in comparison to Atlanta. So far, most guesses are in the eastern US, a few in the Midwest and one in Arizona.

A few have asked about the duration of the fundraiser - we'll keep raising funds until we are matched. If you would still like to donate, here is the info from the original post:

For a $20 donation you can pick your place on the map; where do you think Baby Keim will be born?  The person(s) who choose(s) the birthplace (or closest to it) wins a prize (it probably won't be a new car, or anything, but...).  You can donate through the PayPal button on our blog (see the right sidebar), or if you prefer to send a check directly to us you can always do that. You DO NOT have to sign up for a PayPal account to donate through them. You can enter as a guest and use your own personal credit/debit card if you like. 
However you choose to donate, please be sure to include what city and state you think Baby Keim will be born in.  On PayPal, use the "Special Instructions" space to provide your geographic information.  If you decide to send a check, please go ahead and include a note with your geographic locations. 

We don't have any progress to report yet. Our case worker shared that our profile had been shown 10 times in June so we are hopefully that we will the family that an expectant mom is looking for. We also sent in 70 updated photos.

Thanks for your continued support and encouragement.

Guess Right, Win Big!: Adoption Fundraiser

Do you remember that map we used from our adoption announcement?  Well, it has been a constant reminder that Baby Keim is out there waiting for us. However, now we want to add something to it: YOU.  Many of you probably know Shawn and I love to play games so we decided to come up with one for our adoption, too.

For a $20 donation you can pick your place on the map; where do you think Baby Keim will be born?  The person(s) who choose(s) the birthplace (or closest to it) wins a prize (it probably won't be a new car, or anything, but...).  We have paid our agency fees and homestudy fees (twice) but we still have a lot ahead of us (travel, lawyers, social workers, hospital and birthmother support). We would love if you participated with us!

We are ready to add your pin to the map!

You can donate through the PayPal button on our blog (see the right sidebar), or if you prefer to send a check directly to us you can always do that. You DO NOT have to sign up for a PayPal account to donate through them. You can enter as a guest and use your own personal credit/debit card if you like. 

However you choose to donate, please be sure to include what city and state you think Baby Keim will be born in.  On PayPal, use the "Special Instructions" space to provide your geographic information.  If you decide to send a check, please go ahead and include a note with your geographic locations. We will continue to post updates and photos as our map fills up!