BLESSINGS!

Collin and I have really been wishing we had a Money Tree lately! Doesn't everyone? Anyway, when we got approved for adoption they told us it would be an average wait of 2 years... but not even 2 months later Ashlyn came along! Needless to say, we had barely, barely started saving our pennies for all the expenses that it would entail.

Today as I was sorting through some of Ashlyn's clothes that are now too small I was overcome with how blessed we have been! We have always had a testimony of tithing and have paid it diligently even when it seemed really hard and we weren't sure how our expenses would even out with our income. And we have always made it so far..... I know it sounds cliche to say that but it's SO TRUE! We are broke as a joke right now, paying off all the adoption and travel fees we incurred while getting our little one. We don't mind and we don't complain because it's worth it! We have made sure to continue to pay our tithing through all this, even though it looks really good to send that money to an airline or hotel or credit card instead. And Heavenly Father has sent so many ways to bless us I can't even name them all. But here are a few--

For one thing, we were SUPER spoiled with all the gifts brought to us/given at showers. I had always been looking forward to having a baby shower simply because it was fun to have a party in your honor, but at each of these we NEEDED pretty much everything! I have probably bought less than 10 clothing items total for Ashlyn, all due to the wonderful things friends and family gave us. And believe me, we would not have the money to spend on those things right now anyway!

Another thing: so many people gave us diapers as they came to visit, or came to showers, or whatever. I bought 2 packs of size 1 diapers, and didn't even use one of them. All the diapers she used in that size were given to us.

Also, one of my friends (bless you, Chandra! :) just happened to have stockpiled a bunch of Similac for her baby, who turned out to not tolerate it well. So for like the first 3 weeks or more that we were home, we were able to use free formula from my buddy! That is money in the bank, people! And continuing with the formula thing, I have been super blessed to have so many people (some I don't even know) giving me their coupons and checks for Similac, so I have been able to score some great couponing deals to save more $$ on it. Thank goodness.

Another thing--we bought pretty much everything in Ashlyn's nursery (bedding, diaper genie, mobile, pack n play, bumbo, boppy...) with gift cards and cash given to us. After living in a hotel for 2 weeks with next to nothing in terms of baby supplies, we knew we could go without, but those things are so nice to have and it was all thanks to generosity of those we love.

Also-- we were just figuring out how we would pay our next $650 installment to pay off our airline expenses last month, when that day I got a check in the mail from LDSFS for a total of $657! It was a refund of more than half of what we had paid for our birthmom's pass through expenses.

AND the latest thing that has been another small (but big!) miracle-- I got rear-ended about 2 months ago, and the estimate put the total cost for repairs at $470, even though you can barely see the scratches on our bumper for it. It took 2 months for the insurance to get ahold of the lady who hit me, and all this time I had just been waiting for the car repair place to call me to tell me they were finally settled and could take our car in. Well just last week I got a call from the insurance agent telling me he was just going to send me a check for the full amount. Are you kidding me? I think it's more than just good luck.

So, there are so many more ways that through this experience we have been blessed beyond measure, and probably way more than we deserve. When Collin and I first started the discussion of trying to have kids (which is laughable now--the fact that it was 4 years ago!), finances were a big issue to me. I didn't grow up with a lot of money and I didn't want to have kids before we were a little more financially secure. Of course Collin brought me around to realizing that things would work out if we were trying to do what we felt is best and that was trying to start a family. Well here we are 4 years later and it's so true. Heavenly Father wanted Ashlyn to be sent to our family, and He has and is still providing so many helps along the way, both big and small. I just wanted to write these down before I forgot them. And the moral of the story= pay your tithing and it will work out! (I keep saying that to myself.... as we continue paying things off!