Joy For All Christmas Card
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Wednesday, December 19, 2012
Tuesday, October 16, 2012
Carolina's Baby Dedication
On Oct 7, 2012, Jon and I dedicated Carolina to the Lord. Our church has a time before each child's dedication where several women spend time praying over each child and asking the Lord to bless the child's life and to reveal His heart for them. During the child's dedication, our children's minister reads the word that the Lord revealed to those women during their pryer time.
I wanted to share the word that was written and prayed over Carolina.
Carolina Chavous
Oh what a wonder you are! My precious daughter; you are royalty---the daughter of the King. You have more facets than a well-crafted diamond. I have designed you to shine, sparkle, catch my light and reflect it back in rainbows of color. I created you with great care and precision. I took time crafting you just the way I wanted you.
You will share freely what I pour into you. I created you with a heart that loves people. Your energy and excitement are qualities that allow your passion for Me to be witnessed by many. I am your Source, Carolina. I am your light. Cling to Me. Know when to "be still"; It will be in these quiet times that I will speak into you a fresh breath.
Your worship pleases Me. I love to see you smile and laugh. I love your adoration to your King. You bless Me with song and dance. Your heart is pure and tender. I put that in you and I love it.
You are mine Carolina. I love you. I am proud of My work. You are a good seed and I planted you in the good soil of your family so that you could grow and thrive.
I have My hand on this little one and I will not be letting go.
Also before her dedication we were able to share how God faithfully provided for us during Carolina's adoption and placement. I plan on sharing that in a blog soon.
I wanted to share the word that was written and prayed over Carolina.
Carolina Chavous
Oh what a wonder you are! My precious daughter; you are royalty---the daughter of the King. You have more facets than a well-crafted diamond. I have designed you to shine, sparkle, catch my light and reflect it back in rainbows of color. I created you with great care and precision. I took time crafting you just the way I wanted you.
You will share freely what I pour into you. I created you with a heart that loves people. Your energy and excitement are qualities that allow your passion for Me to be witnessed by many. I am your Source, Carolina. I am your light. Cling to Me. Know when to "be still"; It will be in these quiet times that I will speak into you a fresh breath.
Your worship pleases Me. I love to see you smile and laugh. I love your adoration to your King. You bless Me with song and dance. Your heart is pure and tender. I put that in you and I love it.
You are mine Carolina. I love you. I am proud of My work. You are a good seed and I planted you in the good soil of your family so that you could grow and thrive.
I have My hand on this little one and I will not be letting go.
Also before her dedication we were able to share how God faithfully provided for us during Carolina's adoption and placement. I plan on sharing that in a blog soon.
Sunday, January 1, 2012
Merry Christmas! Chavous Christmas letter 2011
Merry Christmas!
This has been a very eventful year for the Chavous family. In January, we headed South on I-85 and signed into Ft Benning, GA. We moved into a nice house on post, joined a local church and Sally started interviewing for jobs. We have come to love Ft Benning and the Columbus area. Jon is continuing his assignment as an instructor at the Captain’s Career Course. It is the same course that he was teaching at Fort Knox, only now it is officially combined with the Infantry course. In July, Jon went to Airborne School and earned his jump wings. Sally quickly found a job at the local hospital’s Transitional Care Unit as a Physical Therapist Assistant. Maggie has really enjoyed our new home too! Specifically, her little piece of beach along the creek near our house.
Two significant things have happened this year. We both made the commitment to become more heathy and fit and we decided to start the process to adopt a baby. So in January, we started the formal application process for domestic adoption. We also have both lost a significant amount of weight.
In the meantime, we found many fun, recreational things to do. We completed a 50 mile bike ride and spent the weekend in Atlanta for our 12th anniversary. Sally began commuting by bike to work 1-2 days a week. We also joined a local bike shop’s group ride one night a week and also began training for Sprint Triathlons. This year we competed in two Sprint Triathlons. We placed in our first race and Sally won her division in the other. We competed in several 5 and 10Ks races as well. We were also able to catch two Carolina football games this year and tailgate with some great friends.
As for the adoption process, we spent the first half of the year reading, studying completing forms and attending home study classes. We were finally approved and started the waiting process in June. We were quite surprised in late September when we were notified that we would have the opportunity to adopt an infant girl within the next two weeks. We were both very excited and shocked. We had anticipated that we would wait much longer before we had a child placed with us. After much prayer and careful consideration, we decided to accept the placement. We worked very quickly to prepare our home for our new addition. Sally’s parents came to help us set up the nursery and many great friends loaned us much needed baby items. God was faithful and we are happy to announce, that we welcomed Carolina Grace home October 14th. We hope to finalize the adoption early next year.
Maggie is getting used to sharing her parents and adjusting well to Carolina’s arrival. We have enjoyed the past 8 weeks bonding with Carolina and watching her grow and change so quickly! We are also enjoying her quickly learning to sleep through the night! You can read more about God’s faithfulness through our adoption journey and other family happenings on our infrequently updated blog www.cheersandgears.blogspot.com
We hope you have a very blessed Christmas and New Year!
Grace and Peace,
Jon, Sally, Carolina and Maggie
Special Thanks to Sally’s Dad, Sam, for taking our first Family photo!
Our Adoption Journey and Carolina's Placement Story
Well this is very late, but Hey, we have been busy for the past few weeks!
Our adoption journey-
Jon and I have talked about adoption for a long time. We both felt strongly that we wanted to adopt eventually and in January 2011 we stepped out in faith and started the adoption process. We were ready to start a family and we thought that the timing would be good since we just moved to Georgia and we would have some stabilization and time to complete that adoption process before we moved again.
We completed our formal application with our adoption agency in January and started the "great paper chase" for documents and forms to be completed and turned in. We also started our home study classes. These weren't 'how to parent' classes as some people may think but the classes were designed to address adoption specific topics and answer any questions that we might have. We were able to speak with Birth Mothers, Adult Adoptees and Adoptive Parents. Each story was unique and offered a lot of insight into the adoption process, growing up as an adoptee in a transracial family and perspectives of a Birth Mom.
By June we had completed all the paperwork, classes, appointments and interviews required and our home study was completed and approved. Next, We began the waiting process. We really weren't sure how long this would take but we were prepared to wait awhile maybe up to a year. We weren't in a rush to set up the nursery or stock up on baby items. We collected a few things here an there: a pack and play, bumbo chair, stroller and car seat, exersaucer, etc. We also looked at nursery furniture but we weren't in a rush to buy anything. Mostly we spent time enjoying new hobbies, running and biking. I actually joked that we would run a big race and then receive a placement of a baby and how we would adjust to having a new baby. (haha)
In September, we sensed that we would be meeting with Birth Mothers soon and we scheduled a meeting with our social worker to discuss possible meetings and what to expect. We were very surprised when our social worker told us of a birth mother who had delivered and created an adoption plan. The birth mother felt she could not provide for her child and she thought that adoption was the best choice for her baby. She did not want to choose the adoptive family but she wanted her child to be placed with a christian family that would love her and be able to provide for her. Our social worker told us that they (the staff) thought of us and offered the placement opportunity to us (we were one of the only families that were open to a child of a different ethnic/racial background). WOW! that was such a shock to us. We were expecting a different path. We thought we would meet (or communicate) with a birth mother and have a few months to prepare for the birth. Now we were looking at a near immediate placement. We didn't have anything set up. In fact all we had was a nursery, pack n play and a car seat.
God in fact had a different plan! A plan that would make us trust Him completely. After several days of prayer and consideration, we decided to accept that placement. (I'll write more about that later) Now we needed to get ready. We new that God would provide everything we needed and boy did He ever! We found baby furniture on sale and ready for pick up. My parents and aunt kicked into full grandparent/ great aunt mode and made a trip to Columbus to help us set up the nursery and helped us get immediate needs squared away. God also blessed us with great friends and neighbors who loaned us baby items.
Although she was born on Sept 27th, We welcomed Carolina home on Oct 14th. Because her adoption plan was created in the hospital there were several forms and legal paperwork to be completed before we could bring her home to GA. So for the first two weeks of her life Carolina lived with an interim family in Birmingham. The family was an amazing family that loved her and prayed for her. I wish we could have met them in person but we were able to talk with them on the phone. God once again showed us his faithfulness as the interim family named her Grace. They did not know it at the time but Carolina's middle name is Grace.
Carolina was welcomed home on the 14th of Oct. We were so excited! She has been such a joy! It is amazing how we bonded immediately and loved her as our daughter.
By June we had completed all the paperwork, classes, appointments and interviews required and our home study was completed and approved. Next, We began the waiting process. We really weren't sure how long this would take but we were prepared to wait awhile maybe up to a year. We weren't in a rush to set up the nursery or stock up on baby items. We collected a few things here an there: a pack and play, bumbo chair, stroller and car seat, exersaucer, etc. We also looked at nursery furniture but we weren't in a rush to buy anything. Mostly we spent time enjoying new hobbies, running and biking. I actually joked that we would run a big race and then receive a placement of a baby and how we would adjust to having a new baby. (haha)
In September, we sensed that we would be meeting with Birth Mothers soon and we scheduled a meeting with our social worker to discuss possible meetings and what to expect. We were very surprised when our social worker told us of a birth mother who had delivered and created an adoption plan. The birth mother felt she could not provide for her child and she thought that adoption was the best choice for her baby. She did not want to choose the adoptive family but she wanted her child to be placed with a christian family that would love her and be able to provide for her. Our social worker told us that they (the staff) thought of us and offered the placement opportunity to us (we were one of the only families that were open to a child of a different ethnic/racial background). WOW! that was such a shock to us. We were expecting a different path. We thought we would meet (or communicate) with a birth mother and have a few months to prepare for the birth. Now we were looking at a near immediate placement. We didn't have anything set up. In fact all we had was a nursery, pack n play and a car seat.
God in fact had a different plan! A plan that would make us trust Him completely. After several days of prayer and consideration, we decided to accept that placement. (I'll write more about that later) Now we needed to get ready. We new that God would provide everything we needed and boy did He ever! We found baby furniture on sale and ready for pick up. My parents and aunt kicked into full grandparent/ great aunt mode and made a trip to Columbus to help us set up the nursery and helped us get immediate needs squared away. God also blessed us with great friends and neighbors who loaned us baby items.
Although she was born on Sept 27th, We welcomed Carolina home on Oct 14th. Because her adoption plan was created in the hospital there were several forms and legal paperwork to be completed before we could bring her home to GA. So for the first two weeks of her life Carolina lived with an interim family in Birmingham. The family was an amazing family that loved her and prayed for her. I wish we could have met them in person but we were able to talk with them on the phone. God once again showed us his faithfulness as the interim family named her Grace. They did not know it at the time but Carolina's middle name is Grace.
Carolina was welcomed home on the 14th of Oct. We were so excited! She has been such a joy! It is amazing how we bonded immediately and loved her as our daughter.
Friday, November 4, 2011
Carolina's Birth/Placement Announcement
Inky Chic Pink Birth Announcement
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Monday, October 10, 2011
Maggie announces she will be a big sister!!
Maggie wants to let everyone know she will be a big sister. We are adopting a baby girl!!
On September 28th we were asked if we would be interested accepting a placement of a newborn baby girl. After much thought and prayer, we decided to accept the placement and adopt her!
So for the last two weeks Jon and I have been preparing to bring Carolina Grace home. We have been busily setting up the nursery and stocking up on all the things we will need over the first few weeks she is home. We also managed to work in a date night at Buckhead Grill too.
Right now, Carolina is in interim care until all the paperwork is completed for her to officially come home with us. We are hoping to bring her home later this week.
Here are a few pictures of the nursery We are decorating using a owl theme.
Jon, Sally and Maggie!
On September 28th we were asked if we would be interested accepting a placement of a newborn baby girl. After much thought and prayer, we decided to accept the placement and adopt her!
So for the last two weeks Jon and I have been preparing to bring Carolina Grace home. We have been busily setting up the nursery and stocking up on all the things we will need over the first few weeks she is home. We also managed to work in a date night at Buckhead Grill too.
Right now, Carolina is in interim care until all the paperwork is completed for her to officially come home with us. We are hoping to bring her home later this week.
Here are a few pictures of the nursery We are decorating using a owl theme.
Jon, Sally and Maggie!
Newest Family Blog
This is our new Chavous Family Blog. Here we will keep you updated on all that is going on in our Family. Sally will keep her blog as well but most posts will be on this site. Enjoy
Jon, Sally and Maggie
Jon, Sally and Maggie
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