The Games have Begun: Part 2

Well, it has been a little while since I wrote. A couple of things have happened since March. David and Tanya are newly weds and we absolutely love them! I am getting another sister in law from the other side who will share my first and last name. Bryan's brother Kyle is marrying a sweet and hilarious girl with the great name of Megan in June 2013. Chuck has been called up to Spring Training for Spring 2013 with the Toronto Blue Jays after doing very well in Rookie ball this past season (Fall 2012). Mom sold her home staging business to a competitor to be able to invest her time in various areas: counselling, consulting, WiBN, training, sits on various boards, and also is a large part of the women's ministry at her church. Dad is doing well, working on vision for his business, training, and the general intensity of running a business for God.

We also have a couple of updates:

1. Taking after my grandparents' example, we became foster parents in October 2012 and received placement of two sisters in early November. We now have a preschooler and an elementary student living with us. They are precious girls!

2. I (Meg) quit work and am able to stay at home with the girls. Bryan took 2 weeks off work so I could give my notice (good thing his vacation was saved up!) and played Mr. Mom very well.

3. Ethiopian adoption for us is still a ways off - probably next winter. We will need to go through a whole new update and paperwork when we get closer.

4. We are pregnant! Due May 11th, 2013, Little Kampie has already made himself (yes, himself) known as not a single pair of jeans fit! Little Kampie is very healthy and rolling around quite a bit.

Becoming part of a foster home was a bit of a rough transition for both the girls and for the Kamps. :) We had a great couple who assisted us in so many ways with helping us to bond and build trust with the girls. They invested a significant amount of time over the course of the first month. Our small group and Sunday School helped us as all four of us transitioned by providing meals every single Monday, Wednesday, and Friday! We had other foster parents from our church pulling babysitting duty and volunteering to do so much more. What a showing of God's love through His people! We had family and friends lifting us up in prayers. It is an amazing past couple of months. We are constantly tired and constantly laughing. Hard not to laugh  when your elementary student walks up front to Santa at a company Christmas party and starts shouting, "You're not the REAL Santa!" in front of all the other kids or when your preschooler crawls to the next stall where a little old lady was perched on her own toilet to ask her for toilet paper!

Being pregnant has been an adventure as 2 other girls in our small group are due within 2 weeks of me. All 3 of us girls are able to walk through this adventure together and has been fun (and I think the husbands are all lamenting together our recent use of body pillows, mood swings, midnight snack runs, and our constant bemoaning of our ever increasing girths.) - by the way, referencing my last post in March: We Win - our baby is coming first! :)

Ethiopia: We are praying and waiting. Obviously, we have been a bit busy while waiting but nevertheless, we are excitedly, expectantly waiting for our little one from Ethiopia.

Parting words: Especially this Christmas, I would encourage you to seek out a foster family - maybe help with gifts for the foster kiddos or get your CPR and background check with CPS/foster agency so you can give parents a night out (babysitters need be on file for the family - making date night for foster parents even more difficult.) Show a foster family the love that Christ has shown you and give the foster kids or the foster parents an encouraging lift up this holy season.

Merry Christmas!
Bryan & Meg Kamp

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.