“Oh, I believe…in yesterday.”
-Paul McCartney
***
Our adoption adventure officially began in December of 2012, (note: I’m calling it an adoption “adventure” vs. an adoption “process” to help keep my focus on the Wonder vs. the wait lately. 😉 ) and we’ve done a lot of Looking, Leaning, and Listening throughout the past 641 yesterdays.
It was right around the 4-month mark of our (5-month long) home study when God told us exactly where our son was. That was an awesome yesterday. 🙂
It was right around the 6-month mark when we were introduced to a new part of our hearts through the eyes of an 18-month-old little boy, whose picture “just happened” to pop up on our computer screen that day. Another awesome yesterday!!
It was right around the 12th-month mark when God planted our paperwork right underneath that (now) 2-year-old boy’s paperwork, aligning our adventures, so that we could travel the rest of the way together.
Definitely one of our BEST yesterdays to date. 🙂
It was right around the 15th-month mark when God whispered, “I know this road feels long and mysterious because you can’t see what’s up ahead- but I can see the whole thing from beginning to end, and trust Me, it is a beauty-full journey.” And with that Whisper came the Don’t Quit Your Daydream t-shirt, and a way to connect with and encourage other folks traveling similar roads. Such a fun yesterday!!
***
Fast forward six months. We’re at the 21-month mark right now, and looking back from this point, I can see all those (and other) monumental marks dotting the side of the road behind us. Like telephone poles, threaded together by Wire that just keeps making more and more sense.
(source)
I’m so thankful for those poles and that Wire, y’all. They fill up so much more than just my yesterdays, and give me hope for what’s to come tomorrow.
***
And speaking of that project God planted around the 15th-month mark- I’m excited to share a photo of my third Blog Threads t-shirt design today! This month’s sale will be open on Wednesday and Thursday, the 10th and 11th.
But first, let’s rewind to a couple of photos from the first two sales so I can give you an update on the families those t-shirts were tied to:
In March, many of you graciously became a part of Neal and Stacy’s story by purchasing the Don’t Quit Your Daydream t-shirt, and I am thrilled to share with you that their paperwork is now partnered with the Rivers of Hope orphanage in Haiti!
I look forward to sharing more about their adventure here and over at BlogThreads.com, as it continues to unfold! 😀
***
In August, I launched “Glass 1/2 Full” and introduced you to Josh and Mallory from Oregon:
They’re *allllmost* done with their home study and are looking forward to having it completed in early October. After that, their paperwork will also travel to an orphanage in Haiti. We’re so excited to see which one it lands at! 😀
***
September’s fundraiser family lives Oklahoma, and they are in the process of adopting through the special needs program in China.
God very specifically led me to Stephen and Lorie through a gal named Ashley who writes a blog called Under The Sycamore, (I’m sure some of you e-know and love her, too!) and I look forward to sharing more about their adoption story here on Wednesday. Lorie and I have been exchanging emails about our adoption adventures over the past week or so, and I am so glad God criss-crossed our paths! We’ve both been waiting for our referral letters since January, so we have a lot of “yesterdays to talk about”, if ya know what I mean. 😉
And speaking of the gift of growing new friends that feel like family- here’s a look at this month’s t-shirt design:
I was inspired to create a shirt that said “Built To Blossom” because if there’s one thing I’ve learned over the past 21 months, it’s that God sure does know how to make our spirits and His family go BLOOM! 😀
20% of all proceeds from this sale will go to help bring Stephen and Lorie’s child home from the orphanage he or she is currently living in, and like I mentioned above, the sale will start Wednesday morning over at BlogThreads.com.
After that, I’ll close the sale so that I can tally up the order and send it off to the print shop on Friday, September 12th. I’ll get them back from the print shop by the following weekend (September 19th/20th) and start mailing them out on Monday, September 22nd. (I’m thinking they’ll be delivered between September 23rd-October 10th, depending on what part of the world folks live in!)
Thanks so much for reading, and hope you have a spectacular week! XO
Julie
We sent our dossier to Haiti in September; we got our referral at the beginning of December. My daughter was two and my son was 5 months old. I visited them the following July. Our adoption was final in the Haitian courts. We were just waiting for passports and visas. The next MAY. My son was 2, almost 3. My daughter was 4. It was a 30 month journey.
That was 6-years ago. They fit into the family just fine (with a few MAJOR bumps from my oldest, previously only also adopted daughter who has fetal alcohol syndrome).
I spent my time learning to do hair and praying.
Khadija
Children are so wonderful, I am so excited for you!
Tori
I noticed on the blogthreads site, it shows the different designs as “coming soon”. Will we be. able to order the different designs at some point, even though the initial order time has passed? These are such great designs, mainly because they’re positive and uplifting!
Valerie
We have just submitted the first round of paperwork for our home study, starting classes next week. I have been reading your adoption story from the beginning and a few months back adoption was definitely not on our radar…God really works in mysterious ways.
Now when I wear my ‘don’t quit your daydream’ shirt, I think of our little baby somewhere on the face of this Earth and pray that God provides her with safe arms to hold her, kisses and hugs, love until my husband and I can safely bring her home.
Hugs to you too, prayers for you, all adoptive families waiting for their children to come home, for all children waiting for their parents to come and get them home.
Nancy
Good morning Layla 🙂
My husband, dauther and I just came back from a wonderful trip to Haiti last week. My husband is training the teachers for a new professional school in Rivière Froide. While we were there, we met a little girl of 10 years old. She was staying with us with the nuns for a week before going back to the orphanage where she lives. She followed my daughter and I everywhere we went during that week. On the last day, she asked me if we could bring her to Canada with us and my heart was very sad to say that it would probably not be possible. All this to say that because of that, my husband had a lot of questions about how adoption worked in Haiti. We were not on the same flight to come back but when he arrived home he told me: I`ve met somebody very interesting at the Port au Prince airport and I asked them questions about adoption process. They were 2 directors of Three Angels orphanage in Haiti.
All this to say that I thought about you immediately 🙂 Praying and hoping that you will have your little one with you very soon!
My husband will probably returning in November and Lord willing, we are planning to bring all of our family there in March.
You can see some pictures of our trip on our blog at this link…
joiedapprendre-nabi.blogspot.ca/
Blessings,
Nancy
Debbie
That must have been heartbreaking. Prayers that everything works out for your family.
Layla
Oh Nancy, your message about the little girl who asked you if she could come home with you just broke my heart wide open! 🙁
I will take a moment to say a prayer for her (and you!) right NOW. Please let me know if you have any specific questions about our Haitian adoption adventure and I will be glad to answer them!
My heart skipped a beat when I read that your husband met the directors from Three Angels at the airport. I cannot wait to meet those folks….hoping it’s SOON!
XO
Nancy
Thanks for your prayers Layla 🙂
I also pray for you, that you will meet your little one very soon and that you will have a safe trip to Haiti.
From what I understood, the little girl is actually sponsored or adopt from one of the nun that live at the nursing home we were living during our trip to Haiti. The nun is actually very old. I think that is why the little girl is staying at an orphanage. The name of the orphanage is SOS Village d’ Enfants. During the last years, we’ve been helping a lot of people from different countries and my heart has been broken many times by all the poverty and sad things in the world. I had to train my mind to accept the fact that I can’t help everybody but have to do one thing at a time. For that reason, I had already made my mind that I would not let my heart get hooked to all the orphans I would meet there is Haiti. But I was not expecting to have an orphan to be staying with us and following us all week…The long process, the papers and everything seem so impossible for me. Another issue is that we are protestant and I’m not sure that the nuns would actually consider us as an option.
Blessings,
Nancy
Alli
Are you going to have kids size shirts or are these all going to be adult size? I understand the issue in having too many product variations, just curious. Thanks! Love your mission and designs!
Layla
Hi Alli!
I will definitely be offering kiddo sizes! Thanks for asking! 🙂
Amy Y
Love how the God of yesterday’s is in the today and knows all of our tomorrow’s as well. He’s good like that! 🙂
tami s
Are you going to be offering your other t-shirts again? Love them all but didn’t see the other ones for sale earlier.
Layla
Yep! The sale will start Wednesday morning, and they’ll all be available over there- thanks for asking! 🙂
kristin
LOVE it! Love the saying Layla! And you look great in the glasses. A new look? You have SO MUCH patience. You are amazing to keep on and be positive throughout. I guess when it is a prize like no other you accept what is and KNOW. 🙂 Have a beautiful week!
Sherri Farrell
I just saw a video of the kiddos at Three Angels and wondered which one of those little dancing darlings was yours!!! Can’t wait to order a tshirt!!!! Love my others and get questions all the time about where I got them…especially the Here I Am one!! They are so super soft!!! Wish you still had them since I’ve lost 25 lbs and they’re too big on me now!!!
Mindy
Oh how I love the way you are blessing other families with your specially designed tee’s during this time of waiting – such a giving heart you have!
Christy
Thanks for sharing your daily journeys. I love checking in on your beautiful clean style of decorating and your adoption updates. Believe that the wait is all in line the way it is supposed to happen 🙂 But hurry up.. right? Do you think you will off the past t-shirts as well? I still want the past ones I missed. Thanks!
Donna Doble Brown
Layla, I’m so excited for you and Kevin . . . . Thank you for taking me along on the journey of your adoption and making me feel like I’m contributing in some small way with the purchase of these AWESOME tee shirts!
Makes my heart full . . . Sending prayers for all of you parents to be that you should know the pure JOY of parenthood as I have been fornuate to experience . . . .
XO
Layla
Thank you, Donna! Always fun to meet up with you here! XO
Jill
Layla ~ will you be offering any of your t-shirts in a ‘mostly cotton’ option?
Layla
Hi Jill!
The shirts they print my designs on are made by Next Level, and they are 50% Polyester, 25% Cotton and 25% Rayon. 🙂
Terri
Such an amazing journey!! My first thought when I saw the telephone pole picture on my small phone screen was that it was a cross. God is truly guiding you along this adventure. Praying your precious son is in your arms very soon!!
Amanda
Can we still purchase the “don’t quit your daydream” shirt on wednesday? thanks!
Layla
Yep! 😀
Dawn
I love getting to be a part of others adoption stories by purchasing t-shirts. Thanks for sharing, Layla.
Lea
Layla,
You and Kevin and your little bundle are in my prayers. Whenever this little one is placed in your loving arms he will be the luckiest little one on the planet.
Lea
Kelly Hawkins
Layla, Will you offer the shirts in V-necks?
My reason for asking is I can wear this type of t-shirt under open button up shirts at work. Just like your picture.
Thank you for opening up your day to day life to give inspiration to us all!
Kelly
Colleen
Oh Layla I thought of you this last weekend, I am a nurse in flagstaff az and one of our docs has been to Haite many times. He adopted the cutest lil girl. She was the star of our unit on Sunday ;). To see him walking around with this lil girl on his shoulders was so awesome !
Shirley
Layla, as always excited to read an adoption update! Every time I stop by The Lettered Cottage I pray for your little boy.
My husband wears the shirt I purchased for him in your first sale ALL THE TIME. I see it come through the laundry at least twice a week. He says he wears it because it’s comfortable, but I think he likes knowing that it was bought for the cause of adoption. 🙂
Be blessed Layla (and Kevin.)
-S
sarah
I was so hoping you got the letter so you could go meet sweet p. A prayer to all of you that it happens soon.. your faith is a testament to your goodness.
julianna
Darn! When I read the title “Adoption Update” I thought there would be an update on your adoption process.
Amber
God has certainly taught me through a 4 year journey with infertility that family has many forms and many definitions. When you launched “don’t quit your daydream” I was in the middle of my first IVf cycle I wore that shirt to many of the procedures as a reminder to not give up hope. Sadly that pregancy eneded in a miscarriage. But I know my God and I will not quit my daydream! So my husband and I are stepping out on faith agian and continuing the jounrey to grow our family. This time I will be wearing “Built to Blossom” because my family, your family, and the the family that this shirts sales will bless is built to blossom! Thank you for being faithful, transparent, and for sharing your road to motherhood with us! It is beautiful to know you are not alone! Praying that you will be holding your Sweet Pea soon, many blessings and prayers!
Julie
I have been following your blog as a result your adoption journey, and see God written all over every word you post. We adopted our son at birth and oh what joy there is in being called by the name of Mommy. I am going to Haiti in November with Conduit Missions and I cannot wait to see what God does while our group is there working at a local orphanage, I imagine my heart will be connected and tied to these babies forever. I know you know, but all the yesterdays, especially the long ones where it is hard to see through to the tomorrows, will be worth it and when you hold your beautiful son in your arms forever, well there are no words for that post, just complete awe in God who created him just for you.
Melissa
I have been following your blog for a few months and this post in particular really speaks to me! My husband and I began our process to adopt from Haiti in December of last year and we are still waiting for our dossier to be submitted. It was supposed to be sent in July, but now we are being told October. This process is so full of ups and downs, but God is faithful. I just loved your analogy of telephone poles along the way with the capital W, Wire keeping us on the road. It is easy to feel discouraged and forget what lies ahead. I pray your trip to Haiti comes soon! Thanks for sharing your journey here.
jessica @fourgenerationsoneroof
Wow Layla you have sure been busy! I haven’t visited a blog in months as there just doesn’t seem to be enough hours in my day! ha. I came across one of your pics on pinterest and I said, “oooop, what is that Miss Layla been up to?” So I hoped over and I’m so happy to hear about your adoption update and this really cool T-shirt thing! How awesome! Love it 🙂
Jordan@the2seasons
Love how you started off this post with a quote and it is something I will need to remember. We officially started our adoption journey adopt our child from Thailand and we are in the waiting to be matched part of the journey. Dossier submitted I-800A submitted now just waiting and thinking of our little one out there. I have enjoyed following your journey and it will all be worth it when our children are home in our arms.
Alyssa Sieb
Okay, I’m seeing this a little late; but can I tell you how much I needed to read it?! I loved your telephone pole description; that’s a great description of how this adoption wait feels. We sat on a wait list for a child from Ethiopia for two years. Our yesterdays became full of God redirecting our life paths and causing us to get involved with visiting and advocating for different ministries and orphan prevention programs in that country. Early this year a baby girl was brought to an orphanage we advocate for. We were just praying for her survival. A couple months ago when we went to visit the country, we met her and just knew. We knew she was ours. So we’ve switched agencies, started from scratch, and are pursuing her adoption even though the region she was born in is currently closed to adoption. But when God says, “go”; you just go. Walls are starting to come down in that region, and we’re praying our hearts out to get her home. Anyway, excited to keep following your adoption journey! Thanks for writing this encouraging post!!
Nicole N.
So excited for your family! We adopted our daughter almost 3 years ago and are currently waiting to be picked as parents again:) It is amazing how God can give such a peace that is beyond understanding through the wait 🙂 prayers to you all!
Alison
Hi! We are just beginning the adoption process, getting ready to do our homestudy. Do you all have a domestication see you recommend? We’ve just been excepted into a affiliate of an agency. So we will go through an agency for our homestudy! It is extremely expensive but we feel so called to adopt. We already have two biological children but are so excited to add to our family through adoption!
Bethany
Layla, I just love what you and Kevin have built with your blog . . . but I love even more your sweet spirit. I admire your devotion to each other as well as to your Lord. Your patience in this adoption adventure is inspiring to me! We’ve been blessed to join in my brother’s and his wife’s adoption of their 2 precious daughters and what a gift they are to our whole family! Hang in there and keep enjoying this adventure! On a side note, when do you plan to have more of the shirts available?? 🙂
Regina
for some reason this is the latest post that shows when I log on your site. I hate to be missing all your posts! Is there a problem on my end? Help!
Layla
Hi Regina!
You may have to close your internet browser and clear your cache and/or cookies and history. Let me know if that helps and thanks for checking with me! XO
Regina
It worked! Thanks so much for your help! Now excuse me while I catch up on some blog reading! 🙂