Pinterest Addiction???

Hi everyone~ Sorry I've been MIA for so long. We are now moved and getting settled in. Where did we end up??? Georgia. Funny how life throws curve balls at ya huh. Well we're here and life is um, different! I'm learning to adjust to the changes, although not in the most graceful manner. I'm going to pick back up my blog and hope to post regularly now. Thanks for staying around while i've been gone. Can't wait to catch up with you all now that I'm back :)

So, I've become addicted to Pinterest :) The possibilities are endless, recipes, crafts, parenting tips, product reviews and more. This past payday I decided to jump in on the Pinterest recipe bandwagon. I made the weekly menu based off recipes found there. Below are 2 that the whole family LOVED! And I have a pretty picky family. If you try them let me know how you like them. And if you have any favorite recipe pins i'd love to try them.

White Chicken Enchiladas  

The only thing I changed in the recipe was when I cooked my chicken we boiled it with a packet of taco seasoning. Even my pickiest eater went back for seconds :)

Sour Cream-Bacon Chicken 
This one is done in the crock pot. Now mine did not turn out all nice looking like all the pictures on pinterest. However, it was YUMMY!!!! We made egg noodles in butter sauce to eat with it. Again a crowd pleaser.

Oh and one more that I made and was a success was Crock Pot Roast. To make this you'll need :
1 Cup Water
1 packet Ranch dressing mix
1 packet Brown gravy mix
1 packet onion soup mix

Combine those four ingredients. Place your roast in the crock pot and pot and pour the mixture over it. Cover and bake on low for about 6 hours. This is melt in your mouth good. Serve with some garlic mashed tators and a glass of sweet tea :)

Tonight I'm going to try Salsa Chicken. I'll let you know how it turns out.

What are some of your favorite pins???

~Jenn

Serene Chaos

 

I have not updated lately as there truly has not been much to say. Since Russia banned adoptions by US families we have just been in a sit and wait pattern. Today things have changed. It is with a broken heart I tell you that we have officially withdrawn our commitment to the girls. At this point it is out of our hands as we have other news as well. We are moving.

The company my husband works for lost their contract and with it many workers their jobs, my husband included. Thankfully I am fortunate to have married a wonderful man and a hard worker. One who provides for his family. As soon as he heard rumor about this happening he started putting in applications. He had two responses within a day of putting applications in. One in Tennessee and one in Alabama. He got a second call from the one in Alabama and it looks as if that is where we are headed. And in just 11 short days. This was all decided today. Talk about life changing fast!

Do to us moving we would have to get a new home study in Alabama. We cannot find a home study worker who is willing to take on families for Russia due to ban. We would also have to find a new adoption agency as our agency went out of business as of the 1st of this month. Again,no agency will take on new families for Russia. Even though we have been in the process  for so long, to the agency we would be considered "new". This is why we have had to withdraw our official commitment. It also give the girls a chance to find a family in another country. If and when Russia opens it's doors to the US again, if the girls are available we will do everything within our power to adopt them or if they have a family already to help that family bring them home. Although as we were told today, that possibility is insanely slim. This has been a very hard decision to make and not one we made lightly.   In our hearts they are and will forever be our daughters. Our family's hearts are breaking but we are trusting Gods plan and know that even though we don't understand His ways are better!

We have talked to Andrea (with RR) and she has put our fsp on private until we get moved and settled. We are going to continue with adoption as we truly feel this is what God has called us to do. We know which country we will be adopting from, however have not been matched with a child yet. We won't do all that until we are moved. All the donations made to our fsp are still there and will be held until we are ready to proceed with adoption. So please don't worry if you don't see our fsp. It will be back up in time.

As our lives have turned into a tornado of change we have a peace  that we are right where God wants us. In the eye of  the storm safely cradled in his arms. Our favorite family movie "fly wheel" described it best as a Serene Chaos. I pray you will follow our blog once again as we make the journey to the south and soon after we hope to be matched to a child and be able to announce whom it is.

We thank you all for your continued prayers for our family and for Olga & Vanessa. We praise God we were able to meet them and show them the love of a mom and dad even though for only a few days. It is a priceless gift we will forever treasure and never forget.

~ The Abell Family ~

Giving up is not an option

                So I'm dusting off the cobwebs of the blog tonight to write and ask for prayers for the two sweet little girls we are in the process of adopting. Their country has put a new law into place that bans the adoption of children from the country by Americans. For the past 2 weeks we have been on an emotional roller coaster of ups and downs, twists and turns. Those who are not in the process seem to think it's a clear cut "all over". That's not the case yet. We still have not been told "NO". We've been told wait, by our agency, the team in the girls country and by DOS. Wait and See that is the current theme for 90% of families who were in this process. Everyday there are news reports that say something different and the truth is no one knows yet. Everyone is still waiting for some wrinkles to be ironed out.

               So all that to say, Please pray. Pray for all the children in country who have met, bonded with and are waiting for families to come back for them. Pray for those children who may never have a chance at knowing a family (it is rare that children with special needs will be adopted in their own country).  Pray for the government in their country as they try to figure out a plan to encourage more adoptions within their own countries and pray for the caregivers of the children in orphanages & institution as they care for these children daily. Also, please pray for the families who are waiting for someone to tell them what exactly is going on. The not knowing, back and forth is very hard.

              We are not giving up on the girls. We are still working towards bringing them home. Only God knows how this will all end. God has never given up on us and I'm not giving up on them. We will continue until there are no other options left. As long as there is the slightest chance for them we will be here working to bring them home.

             Thank you so much for your prayers during this time.

Dates, tickets, and packing bags......

The last two days have been a whirlwind of excitement. Yesterday morning we got the email and call we have dates! After 14 months of waiting we are going to meet our starfish. We leave in just 9 days. Can you believe it? And if that news wasn't enough here's more, we got both referrals! So for those who are not on our Facebook, our second starfish is Vanessa. We can't thank you all enough for all the love, support, prayers and donations over the last year. It's because of each of you we are able to make this trip. Our tickets are purchased and visa apps will arrive for processing tomorrow. It's so hard to believe. I know we're going but it still feels like dream. We found out yesterday our first trip that is normally 5-7 days is going to be 12. We will be in the girls region for 10 of those 12 days. I can't wait to tell both girls how loved they are and how excited so many are that they will come home soon. We have a BIG prayer request, if you would say a prayer for the hearts of those involved to be open and softened and for girls to be open to us. I will update as I can while we are there. Our in country team books our reservations in region so we don't yet know where we are staying or if we'll have Internet. It's finally happening our starfish will know they have a family, that they are special, loved and wanted!

We appreciate all the prayer. Please say a special prayer for me, I am terrified of flying and of leaving my children. In 14 years I've never left them for more than a night. Please pray they will be okay while we are gone.

Thank you all! You all hold a special place in our hearts.

Jenn

Something from the Hubby...aka Her DADDY!!!!!

I just wanna thank everybody that has made this possible. From the bottom of my heart THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH.... I had mixed emotions on this when my wife first thought about it. But after sneeking peeks at RR and looking stuff up my mind started to open up more. I didnt realize how much till I saw her and my heart melted. I saw her smile and the im here come get me look on her face. I knew that min I wanted to be her Daddy... I just want other husbands to know that it may take time you may not think its what you want but If you let GOD lead you, You too will find your starfish. Again Thank GOD and all of you who helped and Loved her enough to do what you have.


God Bless You All
Her Daddy :)

Thank you!!

Thank you for all the sweet comments . We feel so blessed to be Olgas forever family and can't wait to finally meet her and hold her. And especially to bring her home. To think when she is older we get to tell her about her journey and all the wonderful people God used to bring her home. She is one loved little girl!!

She has one very happy daddy at work right now. I sent him a text telling him our page was up and we could now tell people about Olga. I wonder if helicopter hangers echo much... good thing those guys wear ear protection =) And her two sisters who are home are already asking can I call my friends and tell them. I can't wait to see how excited our youngest is when I tell her. Every morning before school she asks me if she can tell her teacher who her new little sister is, now I can tell her YES!! I've told just about everyone who will listen and maybe even some who weren't. ;)

For those of you who have been praying for her for so long I want you to know she is coming home not only to our family but to our extended family as well. She has an aunt & uncle, 2 cousins, Grandparents and Great Grandparents, Great Aunt & Uncle all that live within 25 minutes of us. They have Great Aunts & Uncles, cousins, and more family in Oregon, and an Aunt & Uncle in Kentucky while her uncle serves in the Army. She has a lot of love waiting here for her. And that is only mommys side of the family. She has Aunts,Uncles,Cousins, Grandparents in Ga, Fl, and elsewhere on Daddys side too.

Thank you for following our journey. We will be doing more fundraisers now that we have announced who our sweet girl is. We will be holding ablog auction, we are hoping to start it on Monday the 14th. Valentines day seems like the perfect day to start it. A day all about love. So please keep a watch out for that, we still have our fun pasta fundraiser going, and we are still selling the wipe containers too. If you would please pass our blog on to others.

Thank you all!! We don't know you all but you hold a special place in our hearts because you love our daughter!! Below is a picture of some of her extended family.Ths is her grandparents, both her aunts and uncles, her cousins, and us.



~Jenn~

We are Her Family!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We are so excited to be able to officially say We are her family. Thank you to everyone who has helped and prayed for her. We can't wait to bring this sweet little girl home. Will write more later, was running out the door when I got the email the page was up =) Had to stop and let everyone know real quick.

Hugs
Jenn
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