For a friend of mine...

A friend of mine is selling custom made princess/prince castle beds and they are adorable!!! She is undergoing fertility treatments so this will help with the costs of those Im sure :). Check them out!

http://thishamptonlifeofmine.blogspot.com/2011/09/custom-made-castle-bed-for-your-prince.html

baby stuff :)

I know, I know, I may be getting ahead of myself but I cant help it! I am so excited to be starting the homestudy process soon. I wanted to get the nursery completed (or close enough) before starting on the rest of the house. My parents were soooo gracious and bought our furniture and bedding for us!!! The room (for those who have not seen it) is bright green, but I love it! The colors will be black and white w/ polka dots, stripes and I'm trying to talk my brother into drawing/painting some pandas and bamboo on there too! (I think there is some damask in the crib bedding as well).

Here is a pic of our crib, dressed and changing table/dresser/hutch (the hutch is not pictured but it sits on top). They should be here sometime this week! I will post pics when its all put together!

Here is a blanket that I made for our baby too :). I am so excited for him/her to use it one day! This was my first one, but I thought it turned out great and it is sooo snuggly!

I hope soon we will have a child in our arms instead of just in our hearts! In the meantime, Im having fun planning and preparing for things to come :)

Updates?

Updates?

Oh, yeah! lol.


Sorry I have been awful at posting! I have no reason to not have posted-haha. The threads of hope fundraiser is going great! The best one yet :). I am so thankful for what GOD has done! He has provided us with the funds we need to move along!

WHAT? You ask. Lol. No, no, we have not gotten all $15,000 we need to fund the WHOLE adoption. We have gotten the $1200 needed to do a homestudy option and pay for the application fee. There is no more putting it off! We are going for it.

A homestudy option is just that, a homestudy only. We will be doing this option because then this will allow us to apply for grants and loans. ALL of the ones we have looked at say we need a completed homestudy. Soooo this is practically the only option to move onward. IF we dont happen to get grants, we will be applying for a loan to cover all of this and will pay it off when we get our tax credit. Hopefully we will get the application completed this weekend and sent off Monday. Our first step!!! We are soo excited and nervous but know that God has this ALL in His hands and knows what He is doing! I am hoping and praying that we will have the homestudy completed by April. Hopefully by then we will have the funds needed to move on. And HOPEFULLY we will be "live" and on the books by June! I know June sounds like FOREVER away but really its not too far away. Only 9 months :)

We are so excited to be moving on with this great and wonderful step! I am so scared and nervous at the same time, but God has this ALL planned already :)

Pics of the Threads of Hope, Inc bracelets

Here are some pics! Let me know if you are interested in any and email or message me your contact info! Thanks :)

God has different plans!

Apparently God had different plans and did not want us just to sell 500 bracelets but 1100!!! Haha!

I had ordered 500 random and 100 black and yellow. Wellll... he sent me the original 500 and the 100 was sent w/ another 500!!! As awesome as this is, its a tad overwhelming. Please PRAY that we sell these!!! Not only for us, but for Threads of Hope, Inc as well!

If you would like to order from us (not from the website) please contact me and let me know. I am on facebook (Crystal A. Bennett) so just send me a message and let me know if you would like to buy some! They are $2 each or 3/$5 and if they need to be shipped, please add a $1 for shipping fees! Thanks so much!!!

I am...

(one year ago, I did this post and today it is totally different)

I am thinking.... what I want to write about for my homework and about our baby that is out there that God has for us :)

I am thankful for... everything that God has blessed me with. I have an AMAZING husband who is sooo wonderful and has been here through everything with me! He didnt ask for this in his life, but he's stuck around :) I am thankful for my wonderful friends, and co workers, who have been soo supportive through my infertility journey. Im thankful for my amazing family-who w/ out them.. i wouldnt be who I am today. For my salvation-that Jesus died upon the cross for our sins. and oddly enough, Im thankful for my infertility-it has made me who I am. it has gotten me closer to Jesus and to Travis... for that I am sooo thankful.

From the Kitchen...I see dirty dishes that need to be washed-lol

Im wearing... jeans an an ASU shirt

Im reading... a lot of different books that I can't remember haha.

Im praying... for God to bless us with a great and wonderful miracle! For God to look out and watch over our future birth mother and our future child/children.

having a baby is a lot like dessert...

** I did not write this.. I found it on someone else's blog, I can not find it though :-( **

Imagine yourself dressed up in your finest clothes. You and your sweet husband are attending a dinner together in one of the nicest restaurants in town. You both have planned, waited and saved for this evening. To say the least, you are very excited! You and your husband arrive and the atmosphere is more than you expected. Everyone around you is having a good time. The chandeliers are sparkling, candles are glowing and sweet soft music is playing in the background. To your pleasant surprise you see others there you know. You are seated with them and in your heart you think there just couldn't be anything better!

The table is just exquisite. Breathtaking really. The people at your table begin to talk to you in jolly conversation. You glance at the menu and you don't even know where to begin! You look over everything slowly and carefully, especially the dessert menu! All of your life you have been hearing about this restaurant's marvellous and divine desserts. Deep in your heart, you have been looking forward to enjoying dessert the most!

Everyone at your table orders their food. For dessert they all order chocolate cake. You think, "Hey that sounds perfect. I'll have chocolate cake too please."The waiter nods in approval and quickly swifts off to put in your order. In the meantime, you are still enjoying the surroundings, the music and the company. You grab your husband's hand and sigh "Yes, life just couldn't get any better."

The food comes and everything looks just pleasing. Some of the things you tasted you really love, some of the things you didn't. Either way, you know that dessert is on its way. That thought in and of itself is just exciting! Then you see him, your waiter! Your wonderful, blessed waiter with a silver tray full of plates of chocolate cake! He comes and starts handing out plates to those you know. You look at the cake and to put it simply, it looks just divine. You're even more excited now! The waiter comes to your side and then passes you and your husband. You are shocked and think there must be some mistake. you don't know what to do, but rather than make a fuss you think, "Just wait, I will get my chocolate cake soon too."

Those that have their dessert are going on and on about how amazing the taste is. You smile, you are truly happy for them. Deep down you are anxious and their feelings only feed your curiosity and desire. Then you see the waiter again and think, "Ahhh, here he is." You notice that he starts handing out seconds and thirds to those that have already had their piece of cake. Your husband doesn't notice, he's busy chatting with the fellow next to him! Deep down though you get a sick feeling in the pit of your stomach. You know something is wrong, something is very, very wrong.

You ask the waiter, "Excuse me please. Where is my chocolate cake that I ordered"? The waiter just replies, "The baker has said that you must wait." He rushes off and not another word is said. Time goes on. You still enjoy the surroundings, the people and the conversations. All the while though, you can't get chocolate cake out of your mind. Time keeps creeping by and soon your husband notices too, "Where is our dessert?" You hold his hand and look into his loving eyes and think, "Even without chocolate cake, life is still good."

Time, however, creeps and it creeps. At moments it seems like it has even stopped. It's getting late and people are noticing you haven't received your dessert yet. Questions start arising and you just don't know how to respond. You look around other tables and notice that people are also getting their third, fourth and fifth servings of dessert. "Why" is all you have to lean upon.

You notice that others have ordered things for dessert besides chocolate cake. There is cherry pie, brownie ice cream sundaes, raspberry cheesecakes and such. They seem just as pleased, if not more pleased with their desserts and you wonder, "Should I order cherry pie too"? You talk to the waiter and he simply says, "I'm sorry ma'am, you just need to be patient and wait."

You are starting to burn inside. Despite all of your best efforts you are beginning to boil. You really want to jump on top of the table and stomp while shouting, "Where is my chocolate cake?" You don't though because you know that will get you no where! Instead you look around and notice that there are some that are refusing their chocolate cake. "It will make me fat" one says. "Ugh. I have enough already" another states. One woman, simply dumps her beautiful chocolate cake onto the floor.

As you look deeper around you, you notice there are a few others that are waiting too. Your heart goes out to them. You smile and wish there was something more you could do. You know their pain and it hurts. It really hurts.

Finally, the waiter comes and he has chocolate cake on that familiar beautiful silver platter...and he has enough for two. One for your husband and one for you! Your so elated with joy that you can't hardly stand it!!! You tell everyone at your table and they are just as happy for you. "We knew it would happen" they say. "You just needed to relax"! Little did they know that deep inside relaxing was the last thing you were feeling! You look at your husband. Tears are in both of your eyes. You carefully take a taste. It's such sweet, sweet perfection. You go to take another and just before you do the waiter comes and gently takes your plates away. "Something is wrong" he says. "Don't worry my dear, the time is soon."

There's confusion. Sadness. Anger. Above all though, you are just deeply and truly heartbroken. Heartbroken to the very core. You don't know what to do. You turn to others for support. They cry with you and too ask why. You take a deep breath and find the strength to go on. You have been given the promise that you will receive dessert. It is just not understood as to when. You decide to put your full trust in the baker. You reach far inside within yourself and find the effort to ask your husband to dance.

He looks at you and smiles..."Yes, I would love to dance with you my dear one." You both get up, leave the table and set off to dance.

As you are dancing, you get your bearings. You again begin to notice your surroundings. The beautiful surroundings that have so magically grabbed your attention in the first place. You remember the music, the sounds, the smell of the sweet flowers. You breath. That's all you can do. You breath and slowly begin to enjoy the moment again. Slowly, it all comes back to you. The things you love. Being with the person you love the most. The pains you have just felt are still there. Still vulnerable, but you feel life again. Yes, life is still good.

After quite a few dances, you both decide it's time to sit at your table. People still have their desserts and their chocolate cakes. Your space is still empty. You decide, however, to really focus on those around you. In doing so you find more joy. The desire for dessert is still there- but it's manageable. Time moves on.

Then suddenly, out of nowhere, your waiter appears. He has the biggest smile on his face. He is pleased to announce that you and your husband's dessert is finally here!! Your heart wells up with joy, but you're afraid too. You ask the waiter, "Will you take it away"? "No, this one was made especially for you."

You smile back, hardly believing that this could be true or real. You look at it and it's not a dessert you have ever seen before. It's then that you realize that the baker has made a dessert with all of your favorite colors and flavors. Careful detail was lovingly taken into every consideration. "How did He know that this is exactly what I wanted"? The waiter just smiles and says, "Because he knows and loves you." If you look, you can see him there. You look and at the door, through the little round window you see a gentle man with tears in his eyes. He is grinning from ear to ear and looking at you and your husband. You can't hardly see anymore because of all of the happy tears. You whisper a big "Thank You" and in your heart you feel that this simple phrase will never be enough.

You look at the people around you, they too have tears in their eyes. They too are smiling from ear to ear. Everything is so precious and tender now- even more so than when you first arrived here. It's then that you learn that the pains you have felt all along the way. The waiting, the crying, the agony. It's all been a special recipe to make this moment this much more wonderful and sacred.

In your soul you take a deep breath and slowly let out a big sigh of gratitude.

You grab your husband's hand and sigh again, "Yes, life just couldn't get any better.