Blessed New Year

I've never posted via my iPhone and I'm clearly struggling with it. I just a few mins o quiet and wanted to reflect on all the 2009 was about and what 2010 holds for our family. I'm sitting here in front of a fire at the family lakehouse and I'm so grateful to be able to relax and reflect on the journey we are on right now. God is at work in our family in ways I can't explain but as a mom I see them and know they are from HIM.
Adoption update: we received notice from homeland security that our I600A was being processed and we would receive fingerprint appointments soon. Once we do, we can send our dossier to Ethiopia and be officially on the wait list. As the reality of knowing who our children are gets closer we all get more and more excited. The anticipation of new siblings permeates our family and it is so exciting we can hardly contain ourselves. I pity the individual that asks me an adoption question or about how we are doing in our process because I could talk their ear right off.
So as we go into 2010 I am thrilled to think (God willing) this will be the year we bring our children home and our crazy, fun, loving family grows by 2,3, or 4 more. If you think of it, please pray for our children and that God will put people in their life to love on them until we bring them home. If they only knew how much they are going to be loved!!!

If you want a good read for 2010 I highly recommend The Hole in Our Gospel!! God has changed me as a person through the words in this book. Also, a group of friends and I are reading through the Bible together this year. I'm looking forward to all that HE will say to me and teach me through His Holy Word.
The Porterhouse wishes all of you a blessed New Year full of God's grace and mercy!!

Last Chance to Order

I am placing my t-shirt order this week. If you want to order and haven't, now is your chance !! We are getting closer and closer to getting our dossier to Ethiopia. I will post an update on our journey soon. In case you didn't know, Christmas is in 5 days ... so much I still want to do.

T-Shirts for Sale

"Do not merely listen to the word and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says ... he will be blessed for doing it." James 1:22,25

Our adoption journey began earlier this year. We have been blessed by a beautiful friendship with the Alexanders and it was at Abe's one year birthday party that the words were first put to our heart's pull toward adoption. The words were spoken just between Craig and me - but the desire was spoken. Since that time, we have researched agencies and miraculously were brought to one that has a special place in our hearts (YWAM-Ethiopia), we completed and sent in our application, we had our homestudy visit, we completed the required hours of adoption training/education, we have become rather fluent in adoption lingo, we have been blessed to meet great adoptive families, and we have compiled our enormously tedious dossier. I look back and remember how overwhelmed I was with the thought of international adoption, much less with actually doing something about it. But, I can't begin to explain the difference in our family in the last 9 months. Our journey thus far has been -- well, it's been life changing!!

And here I am on the threshold of another learning curve. The thought of fundraising and selling things is SO far out of my comfort zone ... Yet, God is giving me righteous confidence that "from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked." And so, here it is, our first fund raiser (drum roll please .....)

Two amazing women, seven adoptions and thirteen kids .... 147millionorphans.com is helping other families raise funds for adoptions. We are one of those families. Below are the t-shirts we are currently selling. Plans are in the works for a party with even more products. Please let me know if you have questions and thank you in advance for helping bring our children home.


Ladies 'Pick-Me' Daisy Ragland
Color: Chocolate sleeve/ white body -pink/chocolate graphics
Available Sizes: Sm, M, L, XL
Price: $24.95

Men's Original Cross TEE
Color: Navy Short Sleeve Ringer TEE
Available Sizes: Sm, M, L, XL, 2XL
Price: $24.95

147 Million Orphan Toddler Tee
Color: PINK or RED
Available Sizes: 2T, 3T, 4T
Price: $19.95

Youth Tees will be coming soon ....

Did you know that 34% of Christian families consider adoption, but only 1% actually do?

Thank you again - and please be patient as I learn the ins and outs of fund raising ... oh yea, and please spread the word!!!