2012 New Year!

So close! As of yesterday, we have had all of our paperwork noterized except the fingerprinting approval which has yet to come. It is the last thing we are waiting on until we get our papers sealed and ship all of our paperwork off to Bethany/Ethiopia. Yes, 2012 is going to be an exciting year.

3 Partying for New Year's, 1 Sicky for New Year's

Just this month, we babysat for Raylan-7 months. We had so much fun having a baby in our house again - it's been a few months since he has stayed with us. We spent Christmas Eve with Luke and Ashley. Having our dear friends and having our house filled with their children, Noah and Raylan, made the holiday all the more cheerful. We had Christmas with one of Bryan's bosses. It was very nice but I can't wait to trade in my bottles of wine for grape juice boxes and for quite evenings with Bach in the background to be filled with Veggie Tales. We also spent separate Christmas' on Skype with each our of families. We had a good time celebrating from afar. We wish you a great new year celebration's! Thank you for all your love, prayers, and well wishes!

Happy New Year's!

Two Stockings in 2011

It's Christmas Season!
I so enjoy this time of year. We are all working feverishly to collect gifts for our loved ones and to stow them away from curious eyes. We love to give and share little (or big, in some cases) surprises, tokens of our relationship. Truth be told, I have yet to make a singular purchase for Bryan's spot under the tree. Still, as a look for gift what I would like to gift Bryan, I am surprised by how much Christmas has intensified the desire for my own bundle of joy. Maybe it is looking at sweet baby Jesus, laying in a manger or all the sweet babies wrapped up in their mother's arms as they go shopping for daddy's gifts. It strengthens my desire for this to be my last Christmas with just two stockings over the fireplace. As a comical side note: I literally have to tell Bryan "no" each time we go shopping together, you may not purchase the tu-tu, soccer ball, playmat, Barbie or G-I-Joe until we at least have a referral (a picture and information on the child(ren) matched to us).

We are excited to share a couple other bits of news.
1) We were accepted by Lifesong for Orphans. This means that they will give us an avenue to help direct funds. (More information to come)
2) Our floors that were damaged by the pipe bursting will begin the replacement process today!
3) Bryan is going to be taking two parts of the CPA. One part in January and one part in February. During busy season, this will be very stressful. Please pray for him!
4) We got our fingerprinting appointment. The 21st of December, 2011. Can't wait as this looks like it is the last step before our paperwork going to be sealed and then to Ethiopia!

I've included some fantastic photos of Bryan and I at my work's Ugly Christmas Sweater Party.

I am struggling to figure out how to rotate the photo for Bryan - he is wearing a Grinch shirt.

Guidance from the Dashboard

Because God is great, I wanted to share what He recently did for Bryan and I.

Today is car shopping day. We were searching for a car that was exactly like what we had before the accident in order to leave the numbers already in our paperwork. We got such a good deal with the car that we knew it would be difficult to replace a like car with the amount the insurance gave us but we trusted God to guide us. We had a list of cars to test drive. We found one that we really liked and the salesman came down to meet us where it would be affordable for us. We felt like we should pray about it so we went to lunch with the car. Bryan prayed specifically for God, "to send warning lights" if we should not purchase the car. We spent some more time in prayer and then ate at good ole Chipotle. We went back out to the car and while we were not feeling one way or another about the car, we thought it was a good car so we would probably purchase the car when we brought it back to the dealership. Bryan turned on the car to drive the 3 miles back to the dealership and the check tires light popped on! We sat there stunned! The light had not been on while driving there but Bryan specifically asked for warning lights and, literally, the warning sensor in the car went off. The car might be a great car but God clearly had different plans for us. We returned the car - told the salesman that we couldn't purchase the car because we had prayed about it and the warning light came on but thanks him anyways. (He probably thought we were a bunch of loons but we know to listen when God tells you!)

We found another car in fantastic condition with all the features that we wanted and even more. Again, we prayed that the Holy Spirit would guide us. While we waited, we decided that if they came back with something higher than our God-promised number, we wouldn't purchase the car. They came back with a price thousands more than our God-promised number. We knew this would probably be the case as all the sites showed pricing for a car such as this as much higher and there was no "earthly" reason to come back with anything else. We thanked them for their time but we knew God had called us to spend only a certain amount. We stood to leave when our sales woman asked us for one more moment. She went back to her manager and brought back a new price. They dropped the price to exactly our God-promised number! We are the proud new owners of God's beautiful blue car! Thank you for your prayers. Praise God for He is good!

It's time to Dossier!

We put the finishing touches on our home study tonight and now Generations Adoptions will be sending our home study to Bethany for final approval. We couldn't be more pleased. Everything is taking a bit longer than we expected but it is coming along. Our friends in Uganda have been busy with their chicklins and I am somewhat anxious to be in their situation - finalizing paperwork with kids in hand. I can't wait to get to Ethiopia and see our precious child(ren). The next step is to finish the dossier and send it to Bethany who sends it to Ethiopia.

On a different front, we have been quite busy at our house. We assisted in planning and executing a program event on the national Orphan Sunday day for our church. It was a lot of work and while I enjoyed it, we had a lot going on. Two weeks ago, a water pipe burst in our house. We need to replace the wood floors damaged by the water. Additionally, we were in a car accident - everybody is fine! - last week so we are looking for new flooring, paint colours, moulding... and a new car.  All this while finishing up our side of the home study edits. We have been very busy and yet so blessed. Thank you for all your prayers, calls, and love.

Home Study Work Completed!

Hello All!
Our interviews went well and our fire and environment checks passed with flying colours. What that means; our home study is completed and we just need to review the write-up! Let me ask you out there who have somebody like your mother-in-law visit for the first time; did you completely clean out the pantry, bathroom closets, scrub grout with a toothbrush, make your husband rearrange the rooms' furniture, wash walls...?   I should've guessed because I did the same thing for when my mother-in-law made her first visit to my apartment. (Disclaimer: I unnecessarily panicked because of me, not because of anything to do with sweet and unassuming Gloria Kamp.) Thanks to assistance from the Klein (TX) and VandeKamp (IL) families, we were very prepared for the home study.

The next part of the process is to get fingerprinting appointments with the FBI. We can finish filling out our dossier paperwork and have it noterized. Once all papers are noterized, Bryan will drive it to Austin and have the state seal put on each page. When completed, we can send it to Ethiopia and then we wait... I am a fairly impatient woman and I already feel like asking, "Are we there yet?" We are in the "hurry up" phase of the "hurry up so we can wait" process. At least this part is exciting because we can still do things in this phase.

Tuesday, we came in late to find that our entry way, bathroom and family room had taken on a much glossier profile. The pipe the runs water from the street to the house burst. Thank goodness for home owner's and Pablo! Pablo is our insurance man and he has been fantastic, taking great care of us. Some of our friends recommended Ryan at Buffaloe Floors for us and they were right, they have been giving us great customer care. We feel that, in the midst of this, that God has been taking such great care of us.

As a side note, my brother, David has asked the most lovely woman to marry him and she said yes! Miss Tanya Leet is to marry my brother March 2012.

Thank you for all your prayers. Especially for our friends in Uganda and their two children. If you like to see how they are follow this link - at least check out the pictures! http://www.thebrowntree.blogspot.com/

Their Trip

We have friends leaving on Sunday for 6 weeks to pick up their two. We just ask for prayers for them. They are picking up two kiddos and are going to be gone until the end of November. They found out that they were leaving 8 days before they are to fly out. One week from today, they will have their court date which means, one week from today this family with finally be united!

~Meg

The Oh-Ah Effect

We are excitable people but we reached a new level of excited when we finally have the home study sessions scheduled. We are working on the dossier paperwork where EVERYTHING must be notarized. October 7th, we head to Waco, TX for the first part of our home study!

I had a friend take me to a mom’s sale, a consignment sale for mothers. The prices there were unbelievable and my friend, Ashley, was there to show me the good deals. It was a fun way to think about getting ready for Kid Kamp. I had a full dose of infant parenthood on our trip to the sale. Ashley’s son, Raylan, received his immunization shots just a few days beforehand and he was… “fussy” as in, he decided to scream for pretty much the entire afternoon. The only way he would settle is if I held him high over my head (airplane-style) or if I tucked him along my arm horizontally. I found that either way left drool dripping down on my face or down my arm and onto my sandals/feet. I am sure it must have been frustrating and tiresome but I loved it! I loved watching what a good mother Ashley was to her very cranky baby boy, splitting our time between shopping and soothing, and having to schedule our trip around him in some degree or another. I believe this is the “oh-ah effect.”

The oh-ah effect blocks the bad and makes you swoon over the good. It is like falling in love but not with a soul mate. All you know is that everything you see relates to the one you love. I have new understanding of the Jeremiah 1:5a, “"Before I shaped you in the womb, I knew all about you. Before you saw the light of day, I had holy plans for you…” I don’t know my child, I don’t know if they are a boy or girl; if they are here on earth or haven’t even been conceived. It doesn’t matter. I know them as, the one I love, my child. I dream about them, pray for them, I am planning and preparing my home for them and in my heart, I love them. Jeremiah’s “holy plans” were to be a prophet unto the nations. What has God set aside for my child? I know we will struggle but currently, the oh-ah effect presides.

Thank you for all your prayers.

The Danger of Outlet Shopping

Hello all!

I have found a new danger in our world. Shopping. Even Bryan has fallen victim to this danger. OshKosh B'Gosh, Carter's, Baby Gap... Beware! It will suck you in! On Friday, the remaining documents we have been waiting for arrived so Bryan and I spent Saturday finishing up the last of the paperwork. After such a long day behind computers and filling in information for the 30th time, it was time for some retail therapy, that and Bryan needed some shoes. We walked past Carter's, then paced back until I submitted to Bryan's leadership and followed him in for a "Just quick walk through" that lasted 45 minutes. We just sat their holding clothes and thinking about the little head(s) of curls that would be bebopping around, whether in a fluffy pink skirt or rouch and tough soccer jersey. Also, we have been attending the Legacy 685 Adoption Camp which has classes for 6 weeks on development of the adopted child. There is another couple in our class who have just received their referral for two Ugandan children. We are excited to meet up and walk through the process with them. Our friends, our families, our blog-followers, our Sunday school class and even some people at our work, have been verbally supportive. It is good to know that our kiddo(s) will be coming home into a welcoming environment. Thank you all for your continued interest and support. Every call, email, message, text, or comment means something special to us.

Gideon's Lessons

This is the day the Lord has made, I will rejoice and be glad in it!

There are times in my life, perhaps even this last season that it has been difficult to feel God’s presence. You are guided by Him but the intimacy with Him is just distant. Regardless, God and I have been sticking to each other like bees on honey. God, however, decided to make His presence astoundingly clear to both, Bryan and me. I would love to tell you the story as the plot deepened even this Monday morning.

Saturday, August 13th, Bryan was studying and I was filling pages in Kid Kamp’s book but we took breaks to talk about concerns and hopes with “Kid” Kamp.

Sunday, August 14th, Bryan woke up early. He sat there dreaming about our African child, hopes for them, concerns for them and all the things we want for them. I woke up about an hour later and listened to Bryan and his thoughts about our child. The radio alarm went off to wake us up for church but left it playing in the background, engrossed in thinking about “Kid” Kamp. When he finished sharing his thoughts, he looked at me, the practical side setting in and said” This is going to be long and hard journey with lots of setbacks.” I gave him an incredulous look and said in typical Meg-fashion, “God always gives me favor. I am one of His favorites! I expect extraordinary things from an extraordinary God.” Before he could respond, the voice on the radio said, “God is extraordinary. He wants us to have faith in Him and expect extraordinary things. If you do expect great things from God, He will not disappoint, He will do great things.” We just started laughing! Of course, we know that it will be difficult but God just wanted us to know that He is listening and very involved here. Funny, I always thought that God’s voice would sound like Earl Jones or Morgan Freeman but really, it sounded a lot like Tim McDermott at KSBJ radio. We thanked God for making us aware that He is the one guiding us and we asked Him to show His power and to do extraordinary things in our lives and specifically, in the adoption.

Monday, August 15th, my car has a cracked coil in the compressor so the Freon keeps leaking and on the 15th day in row of temperatures 100+, air conditioning is... well, nice. Over brushing teeth and prepping for the day, we decided that we were going to have to bite the bullet and take the car in. It runs well and has never had another problem, except for the A/C. Bryan was going to drive me to work after we dropped off the car this morning at Christian Brother’s Automotive. I started the car… well, I tried to start the car. Dead, no lights on, nothing plugged into the outlet, just a very dead battery. We tried to jump the car but it didn’t work before we reach the point of no return and had to go to work. On the road, Bryan’s 3 year old car decided to pull severely to the right and shake the entire way to the office! We started laughing – belly-rolling laughing in the car. When you pray for God to show His power and to Him be the glory, evidentially, He wants all the glory! He took Gideon down to the water and sent back his 30,000+ soldiers, leaving only 300 so that the nations would know that it wasn’t by Gideon (or the Kamps) power but by the Almighty God’s power and to Him alone be all glory and praise. I don’t know what we are going to do but that doesn’t really matter because God does and He evidentially knew this was going to happen. He promised us on Sunday that He was going to great things and on this Monday, we choose to trust the Almighty and trust that He will fulfill His promises to us. I can’t wait to see what He is going to do!

The Definition of "TAP" (The Adoption Process)

Thank you all for all your responses! It touches my heart to know that you care about us. I have been finding myself with a phrase that has grown quite common to my lips, "The Adoption Process." (TAP) A person might ask if we are planning on having children and I say, "Why yes we are! We just started the adoption process." I was thinking about this today as I was prepping some i800a forms and I thought, What am I saying? What does this mean, The Adoption Process? It sounded quite elusive. I've decided that in 12 months from now, I will be much more qualified to give an informed definition but for today, July 27th, here is what it means to me. It means seeing every child under the age of 5 and wondering if our child(ren) are on their way into this world yet or are they perhaps already here? TAP means that while I am reviewing hotel reservations and flight information at work, I am really wondering when I am going to be booking 2 tickets to Africa and 3 tickets to Houston. Starting TAP means that every night, instead of grabbing a coffee with friends, I would rather throw the switch on my laptop and work on our dossier, the paper work that the governments and agencies require to run the background and in-home checks and to match you with your child(ren). TAP means taking typing breaks to relieve your writer's cramp from the past 14 pages of forms you have been filling out. The Adoption Process means laughing and dreaming of your coming family.

Why Kamp Plus One?

Welcome to Kamp Plus One, a link between you and our journey to finding our child. We started our journey long before either of us ever met each other, although we see that this is the journey God laid out since the very beginning. Since I was a little girl, I have wanted to have a family including adopted children. Bryan was a babysitter for his adopted cousins from South Korea whom he adores. When I was 18 years old, my doctor was looking at my knees as I tore my cartilage when she discovered what later would be diagnosed a ovarian cancer. The tumor was taken care of with surgery and while the doctors were optimistic at the time, I would find out that there was a lot of scarring that could present difficulties in conceiving naturally. When Bryan and I met, we discussed this possibility and decided that God has placed so many wonderful children on this earth, that we would want to adopt some of them. We prayed about it and in November of 2010, we started talking about looking into the process and speaking with friends and family about international adoption. Unbeknownst to us, we were already pregnant! Right after the new year, I started feeling sick. A visit to the doctor would reveal that we were having a miscarriage. While it was very difficult, it gave us hope that we might be able to conceive. During the struggle, we realized that all life is a true and beautiful miracle. We took to our knees before God and with the support of Luke and Ashley Cheatham, and family, we grieved the loss of our pregnancy but we also asked God what was His plan for our future. A few months later, during a church service, Bryan leaned over to me to show me something that I had already circled in my bulletin, a discussion panel on adoption. We prayed before going in that God would lead us and help answer some of the questions still lingering in our minds. He answered them all as we sat and listened to both the hardships of being adopted and the joys of being part of a forever family. We were thrilled! We continued to pray and have others pray with us. Finally, Bryan's Aunt Jan went to the Orphan Summit 2011 in Tennessee where she gathered as many resources for us as any one human could. She sent us the contacts of a couple who happen to go to our church and lead an adoption group. We met with this terrific couple and asked some questions specific to Texas and their experience. This conversation was the last green light God gave us to start the process. We chose Bethany Christian Services to help us with our Ethiopian adoption of a boy or girl under the age of 3. Here we are, the first part of the application is in and the mounds of completed paperwork grow by the day. We know this will be a long process but it is our hope that you will pray for us and pray for protection over our child while we keep you updated with developments. Please feel free to comment, call, email, pray and know that we thank you for your part in this journey!