What was your first thought/ reaction when you heard we were adopting??

Sheer JOY! My husband texts me on day saying "Have you been on Facebook? Jeremy and Stephanie announced that they are adopting!" I just began to cry thinking of how much joy this child will bring to you! And how loved and cared for this baby will be! And then when Stephanie told me that the baby will be from Hong Kong I was so excited! What a great adventure this will be for your family! I just can't wait to meet that sweet baby boy and tell him all about how loved he is and was before we even knew him!
--Carrie Kersey

 Praised God, to put a baby in your arms, as I watched you here in Montana, and what a mom your going to be.
 God was truely blessing you, and what great parents your going to be.
--Diane Mundell

Steph and Jeremy
I think that God has smiled on you, and I couldn't be more pleased. I know in my heart what this means to you. How very awesome our Lord is, and His blessings. How wonderful it is that you have chosen to adopt a child. What an absolute beautiful thing that is on your part. I know this child will have a wonderful God filled home. Blessings to you both.
--Bev Niffenegger

I was thrilled for you guys. There has been no greater blessing in my life than having a child, and it brings me such joy to know you will experience that soon
--Jennifer Wisz

I am very excited for you both! You two will make great parents!
--Tammy Swafford

 You guys will be great parents plus who wouldn't want to have willie Robertson for a dad lol
--Justin Evans

We were thrilled and so many great emotions. We definitely know what it is to have the calling to adopt. We are very happy for you and pray for you and your son! Cant wait to see Him.
--Doug and Stacy Brown

You two will make the greatest parents ever. So happy for you
--Sarah Quillen

So awesome
--Diana LeVay

  I sit here with my mouth wide open & was speechless ! Glad you called me !
--Mamaw Wilcox

Joe and I were excited about someday having a niece or nephew.
--Uncle Joe and Aunt Tiff

 Awesome, I started praying in agreement right then.
--Boo Bryd-Baker 


how precious
--Renee Bunch


"You're doing WHAT?!" sums it up.
--Dusty Vaughn

 Excited and so happy for ya'll. And i thought how much ya'll deserve to be parents.
--Kalyn Faison

I thought it was great. I was so happy for you all I know you two would be great parents. You have a lot to give to a child and teach him all the values you two have learned.
I was very happy for you two. I felt like you would be a great mom and dad. Blood doesn't always count.
--Jennifer Humphreys 


I said what are gonna call him or her?.... baby crowder??!! Lol
--Jeremy Downing

Happy and Sad. Happy you would have a baby, but sad knowing it would be along process.
-- Lao Lao 

What a wonderful gift from God and what awesome parents you both will be!
--Kellie Yielding

 Happy for you guys!! Wishing you the best on this new and exciting adventure. Proud of you for accepting any child that comes into your future. A child is a blessing no matter where they come from they were meant to be part of this world. That child whoever it is was meant to be yours from the start and how great it is that was always the plan.
 --Ashley Goodale Grinslade

Happy for both of you.
--Lee Swafford

Shocked, excited, and scared.
--Mamaw Harmon

God is so awesome & I am so happy for you both!
--Lennis Everett

 Pure Joy and Elation :)
--Whitney Reynolds

I was so excited. All I could think of is how badly you want to be parents and how extremely awesome you are going to be at it.
 --Mandi Miller Branch


Excited!!! A child is a blessing no matter how they come into your life
--Eliza Pillion

I felt excited, scared, and then I thought I'm gonna be a Grammie! :) :) :)
--Grammie

Good for you guys!!
--Josh Evans

I was absolutely ecstatic for y'all! After having fertility issues I understand what it's like to want a child SO bad!! But to know that y'all didn't have fertility issues and that you guys were just following the calling on your life, it was just that more uplifting!!
--Kayla Clemons


I was excited I wanted to see baby Malone the next day if not sooner!
--Aunt Lisa

Awesome
--Elizabeth Pierce

Love it!
--Becky Calloway

When I think about the miracle of my son I do not think of a Orphan being rescued, I think of all those years I cried out for a child and how faithful my God is. I do not think of myself or my husband as heroes or want us to be praised for adopting. Until my last breath I will praise God for this child and the miracle of how he came to be ours. God is the hero!! 
--Mama ( Steph)

After years of indecisiveness I was finally ready to be a father. I was excited, scared, and uncertain of what the road ahead would hold. The bible says with God all things are possible and it also says we are all children of God, so I felt it was my calling and my duty to take in a orphan and raise Him up in a christian home and take Him in like my God took me in. To be a courageous father and husband to my family.  Oh snap!
--Daddy ( Jeremy)

Jewelry Adoption Fundraiser

 Hey Guys just wanted to update everyone about our next fundraiser for our adoption. I am getting orders together for a Premier Designs (Jewelry) party. If you love jewelry and would like to order please check out the new catalog. I will receive 100% of the proceeds from all sales. If any of my friends and family decide to have their own party I will receive 25% of the proceeds from their party as well.  All orders must be in by August 5th. Lets raise some funds and keep working to bring my baby boy home and get some awesome jewelry in the process. Thanks in advance its a honor to know that my boy is already so loved.

http://whitney.mypremierdesigns.com/   Access code is 1611.

Participation please :)

 Ok Guys I am working on a post for my blog about everyones reaction to our adoption news. A few people commented when I asked on facebook, but other than that I didnt get alot of participation. So I thought I would ask one last time. So please comment and share your thoughts :) (positive ones only please) Be honest if you were scared or had reservations thats ok share those thoughts and fears.  These will also be put into Baby Cs life book so He will always know that everyone was so happy and excited long before He came home.

Thanks in advance :) :) :)

Songs that remind me of Him. . . . .

So most everyone who knows me knows im crazy about music. ( We played 5 songs at our wedding!! haha) Anyway I have alot of songs that remind me of our baby, and our adoption. They come on the radio often and I think its God way of reminding me not to worry that Hes in control and working all things out for our good.

I thought I would share some of the songs with you. Enjoy..


On this journey of Adoption God has been there every step. Through the pain and trials to the joy and truimph He is there and this songs describes that beautifully.

This song is my adoption song. It was in my heart from day one. I want this to be the song playing in the background of our gotcha day video. Each time it says one step closer I  am reminded that one day we will wrap up this adoption journey and a bouncing baby boy will finally be placed into his mommas arms.

Now we wait

              We had our home visit today for our home study, and everything went great. I normally would have been a nervous wreck, and I was nervous but I felt so much peace. I know it was because so many were praying for us. I could feel your prayers.  Now we are waiting for approval this takes about 6-8 weeks          ( could possibly be sooner.) We are so excited that we have completed this first step and are that much closer to our beautiful baby boy. Please continue to pray for us, our child, and our adoption. We cannot thank you enough for all the prayers that already have been lifted up on our behalf. We are overwhelmed by what God has done and is continuing to do for us. 
        Now we wait. . . . . . . . . .

Just a update and a word of appreciation

    First off I would like to say that I am so thankful for second chances. Sometimes we make choices only to later realize they might not have exactly been for the best. With that being said I am excited to announce that my last day at Kmart will be July 19th and I will be starting back at Polar Freeze tomorrow. I am thankful for the opportunity to go back and am so grateful for another chance.

   I know that this has been part of my downer mood lately. I just felt off and like I didnt belong where I was. The truth is I am just too tender hearted for retail and cashiering. I am thankful however for the opportunity I was given and the awesome people I met in the process. However I am excited to get back to where I belong :)

    Thank you to everyone who has been praying for me. I can literally feel your prayers. I feel calm and relaxed although our home visit is this week. ( I know I still have time for the craziness, freaking out to begin). I ask that you continue to cover us in prayer as we have our home visit on thursday ( July 10th) and for our home study to be approved.

     I truly appreciate everyone who is being so awesome and positive about our baby and decision to follow Gods call on our lives to adopt. I feel I am constantly having to defend our decision and its exhausting. I am blessed to have friends and family who are here for us and honestly excited and happy for us. Continue to pray as we hold our heads high and deal with negativity ( Im not always good at that).

Good Bless,
Stephanie

Timeline :)

  I realize I have really been a downer lately with my sad and droopy post and I apologize so lets focus on the positives. Lets take a look at our adoption timeline what we have completed and whats to come.. . .

• April 3 (2014) submitted Preliminary Application.
• April 6             Submitted formal Application
• April 7             announced on facebook so that friends and family could cover us in prayer.
• April 10           Talked to  International Intake  Coordinator about our Country options.
• April 17           Got the call our Formal Application had been approved.
• April 17            Attended information meeting at Agency. Received homestudy paperwork.
• April 28            Couples interview for home study.
• May 12             individual interviews for home study.

 I have completed 20 training hours and Jeremy has completed 10. Only 10 hours are required before home study can be completed.

  July 10th we have scheduled our home visit for our home study which is the last step. Usually the home study would not taken this long to complete but we moved and I changed jobs not to mention gathering enough funds to pay for the Application and home study which combined cost  $2950.  Our God is good and He has provided every step of the way.

   Whats next??

After our home visit we wait to find out if our home study was approved. (WE ask that you please cover this in prayer!!)

Next we start on our   dossier which is paperwork  that will be sent to Hong Kong. The country fee is also due which is $4650. ( Pray for funding) At this point we can apply for grants please pray for God will and His plan for our funding.

After the dossier we wait for a referral which can take time. During this time we need to focus on the rest of our training and building our funds for the remainder of our adoption journey.

After we receive and accept a referral we wait to find out when we can travel. Meanwhile we complete 10 more training hours. We get all our things together for travel ( passports, etc.) and get house ready for baby.

We will travel to Hong Kong and stay  for 4-6 days.  While there we will meet our son and go to court where if all goes well He will be pronounced a Malone. We will bring him home forever :)

After this we have post placement reports where we meet with our social worker and talk about how everything is going, any problems or hard transitions we are having.



We are so excited that God has led us down this road and has chosen adoption to grow our family. We cant wait to find our boy and bring Him home.

"Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!"        LUKE 1:45

I wanna teach my son

   Yesterday I had a coworker make a very racist comment to me about my child specifically. Her statement started out " Don't take me wrong i'm not racist" It all went down hill from there as she said you know your baby will look like this as she made a gesture with her hands. I did not get mad. I did not get upset. I just turned away and headed back to my work, when she said hey and made another awful comment. I seriously did not get upset however I want people to understand the depth of this problem. Had I went to her and said things of the same nature about her child I have no doubt that she would have fought me right there. So why is it ok? Why do people have the nerve to say awful things to others? What happen to treating others the way we want to be treated?  Somewhere in life respect went away. There are so many fights and arguments because people do not realize its ok to keep your opinions to yourself.
       I want to teach my son that there is so much more to life than skin color. We all have a purpose and if we are busy kicking each other while were down we are not fulfilling that purpose. I want him to know the importance of helping those in need. I want Him to know that there is a time to stand up for yourself, but there is also a time to let things go. I let her comments go yesterday, not because they were ok and not because they didnt affect me, but because it was ignorance. No I am not calling her a name, I simply mean she is uneducated about the subject. We need to keep others feelings in mind however before we speak. We need to be kind and respectful I want my son to know that.
    I want to teach him that we are all different, we should rejoice in those differences and our individualiities not put each other down for them. I want him to know that love doesnt know race. Love doesnt care. I want him to understand that there are mean people in the world but he can't let those people define him.

  I want him to know that I cried out for a baby and God heard my  prayers. I want him to know that we love him for him. We do not wish that he is different. We love him for everything he is. 

       So when you say mean and hurtful things I want you to realize your talking about my baby. I do not talk negatively about your baby so why do you talk negatively about mine??

Our Gods timing is not our own, Its better!

   Everyone was so right when they told us right in time the funds would arrive. God doesnt always provide them when we want Him too. I got a email saying our home study money was a month overdue, and we still only had about half of it and had no clue where the other half would come from. We prayed and prayed and I wouldnt say we gave up hope or our faith in God and His timing, but we got discouraged. We got stressed, we worried, we were overwhelmed.
          
                         Then a childhood friend of ours decided to help. Here is what She wrote



Welcome to Cupcakes for a Cause! My friends Jeremy and Stephanie Malone are adopting a baby. Some of you may know them others may not. They are currently raising funds for their home study, a vital process that will put them one step closer to meeting the child God has chosen for them. Cupcakes for a Cause is a secret fundraiser that I am starting through my bakery Sugar Branch Bakery to help them reach their goal of $1,200 so they can get their home study.I will be taking orders for the cupcakes between now and June 25th. Since I will be in Athens June 27th through June 29th anyone who lives in or around Athens will be able to get their cupcakes then. The cupcakes are $14 a dozen and 75% of the profits will be given to Jeremy and Stephanie. The other 25% will cover the cost of making the cupcakes and delivering them. I have known Jeremy and Stephanie since we were little. They are wonderful and loving people. They have dedicated their lives to God and have served as missionaries in Montana and are now active members in their home church in Sweetwater, TN. They are one of the most deserving couples I know. Jeremy and Stephanie DO NOT know about this fundraiser. Help me bless them and help them being Baby Malone home.

    I accidentally found the event on facebook and I was so overwhelmed and overjoyed as I scrolled down the page and saw so many orders within hours of the event being created. In 12hours 26orders had already been placed!! It was amazing to watch God work. It was amazing to have someone take it upon themself to help us and to watch as we literally did nothing and God provide day after day. 
    As the weeks went on and it was almost time for Cupcakes for a Cause to end we had some friends and family donate and I still cant understand how because I can never get it to add up but God provided the 1100 more we needed for our homestudy. 

The total of cupcakes that were sold were 53 DOZEN!!!!!!! 

   Mandi who lives in West Virginia brought most of those cupcakes to Tennessee to deliver. I am still so thankful and amazed at all the work She did for us. I wanna tell you the grand total not to brag on us, but to brag on our God and how He provided $717!!!!!!

    So yesterday we paid for our home study and we still have the cupcake money to go towards the next cost of our adoption .My question is why do we doubt our God?? Why do we become anxious when He doesnt provide the second we want Him to, when we know the funds will come right on time! Why do we questions His goodness when He has proven Himself over and over throughout our lives. 


Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!  Luke 1:45

I know God will continue to provide throughout our adoption. If you feel God is calling you to help provide you can send me a email at stephaniehmalone@gmail.com.

Or we have a gofundme account where you can give.

http://www.gofundme.com/8q2v58

  We cannot wait until our little man is old enough to understand how friends, family, and even strangers came together to help bring Him home. Please continue to pray for us and our adoption.

 God is so good!!

Forgetyou 2014

    Forget you 2014 was a trip our youth group went on. I didnt get to go, but Jeremy went. I had a horrible week the week before the trip and the week of was worse with Jeremy gone I have just been so depressed, overwhelmed and just blah. However I am thankful that Jeremy went because his desire is to work with the youth but because of his work schedule is unable to. He really got to connect with the youth and I am so happy for that. Sunday everyone who went on the trip got up and spoke, they filled us in on what Forget you meant and what touched them most. It was a awesome service and I cannot even explain how it changed me.

Forget you means to put Christ first .   He must increase, but I must decrease. John 3:30


 I have not being doing that. I have been selfish. Everyone has gifts, I know that mine is working with children. However when asked I have said no numerous times to helping with Children at TFC. I have thought about myself, and I think to get my attention God has in a sense allowed me to bury myself. Don't get me wrong I dont mean He has left me, He NEVER leaves us. I think He allows us to make choices and when we dont follow his will and calling He allows us to be sad, and overwhelmed to get our attention.  

Its not about me, its about Him. I realize that now and I will now be helping wherever I can at church, and I hope this helps others to see the big picture and to do the same. There at jobs that need done, but so often we are so comfortable doing our own thing or convincing ourselves its not the job for us ,But its not about us.


I am so thankful that the youth went on this trip because I NEEDED this message. I am thankful for my church and all those who are a part of it. I am sorry that I let a whole year go by without using my talent in a area where we desperately need more helpers. I am sorry that I have been so selfish.


Remember Its not about us, its about HIM <><

A time of rest. . . . .A break from social media

    Ok guys heres a update. I have had a rough week. Jeremy went to beach camp with our youth group and youth leaders, and for the first time ever I was the one home alone. I cried daily, but what everyone doesnt know is that has been going on since last week.

   I know everyone assumes I have been upset because Jeremy  was gone and I have missed him and not known what to do with myself, but there is more to it then that. As you know from my last post I had a little break down last week. The truth is I didnt just cry it all out and poof im good now.

       I think its all still from going as hard and as fast as I can for 4 months straight. I think its from emotions being up and down and up and down. I need rest. I feel so distracted from the world and yet I feel so connected to it, but cant focus on real life. The best way to describe it is I feel like im drowning. I feel overwhelmed. I feel like its all too much, but when asked what is all to much? I couldnt tell you. Its everything and its nothing. I know that everyone thinks Jeremy was gone and I got sad and mopey, and yes thats partly true. The whole truth is this started long before he left. Last week was my breaking point and this week with my best friend and the person in whom I confide everything gone and unavailable that made it worse yes, but him going is not the reason all these emotions surfaced. I just wanted to clear that up.

      That being said I am taking a break from  facebook, twitter, and instagram. I feel as though they are too much right now. I feel like I have lost touch of "real" life. ( I may not blog as often either, but I will update you when i can). My focus is gonna be on my relationship with Jesus Christ. Being a better friend, wife and future mother. I need less distractions in order to accomplish these things. I wanna be a better person. I wanna be closer to God more so than before. I need this break in order to focus on Him. Im tired physically and emotionally. Im just exhausted with everything and nothing all at once. I want to make sure everyone knows im taking a break from facebook, instagram, and twitter  in the attempt to connect better with the relationships around me. This is something I feel convicted to do. Our facebook will not disappear Jeremy will still have it. I just want everyone to know whats going on since my last post was open and honest I didnt wanna go mia and anyone worry. Im fine and everythings gonna be fine. I will still be working on our adoption I will just be going slower and not trying to accomplish everything so fast or all at once like I have been
.
Again I wanna stress that im fine.I have had a really rough few weeks and  I am just overworked, overstressed, and overwhelmed, so im gonna focus on resting and my relationships with those God has placed in my life and leave out social media, and everything else that doesnt matter.  


    My hope is that I can put my focus back on what actually matters and in turn all my relationships will be on key. The overwhelming feelings will begin to go away and I can be right where God wants me to be. If you need me you can call me. If you dont have my number you can email me stephaniehmalone@gmail.com.

Please remember us in prayers and especially lift up our home visit for our home study which is July 10th and our adoption in general.




 I did miss Jeremy like crazy!!!! Who says that after 6 years of marriage your heart can't think your still a newlywed!!! :)

My Sons Birth Mother

           *** Keep in Mind that I dont even know my son yet and so I know nothing about his birth mother.**


       My Son has a birth mom. I know thats obvious but I want others to know that i'm not pretending that He doesn't. I wanna make it clear that I dont know her and even once I find out who my son is I may have some information about her and I could also have none, but either way I still wont know her. If we do however receive some information about her , I will never share that information. Except with my Son of course that is His story to tell not mine. I know so many will hold harsh feelings deep inside toward her because they assume she just abandoned her baby. I want others to know that for one they are assuming that and I want them to know that even if that was the way it happened they dont understand. I cannot speak from experience because I have never been to another Country, but I know that all the stories in the world cannot help us to even catch a glimpse of what its really like in some countries ( im not speaking of Hong Kong, i just mean in general). Everyone has a story and so often we want to fill in the blanks and become anger and bitter when they arent our blanks to fill in and we more than likely have it all wrong.  I am not trying to paint a pretty picture of my childs past because I dont have the knowledge to fill in his blanks, and I may never know what his past held. But I want others to understand and acknowledge that they dont know either.
     I will forever be grateful for my sons birth mother. I will forever rejoice for the tough decision she made. She is the reason He is alive. She made choices and one of those choices was to carry him and allow him to live. She didnt have to choose that but Praise the Lord she did. She also made the choice to give him up for whatever reason and on one hand you feel happiness in knowing that because of that choice you now have a son, but on the other hand as a woman my heart breaks for her.
        Whatever her circumstance I lift her up in prayer daily. She carried my son, She could be carrying him right now, how could I not care deeply for the woman who gave life to my child. I know that others will never understand this, but thats ok because its my story  and they dont have to understand.
  I just hope that others wont try to fill in the blanks of her story and judge her when they have no clue of the choices that She has made and will live with daily. I hope that others will choose to rejoice in the fact that because of her choice we now have a son and not focus on why and how that came to be.

I know im not the only one who believes God trades our ashes for beauty and this is just another example.

She is in my prayers.
She gave me a gift I cannot repay.
She is my Sons Birth Mother.

Defeated and in need of prayers

On Thursday I had a horrible day. I am constantly working and feel like im getting no where. My days off consist of my working HARD and when the days over I never get anywhere. Thursday I hit my limit. I reach my breaking point. After crying at the post office. I went home and cried for a solid hour and off and on the rest of the evening. When asked what was wrong I sobbed the best I could im tired. I was. I am. Im absolutely exhausted, Mentally, physically. I am tired of being strong. I am tired of pretending to have it all together. I have worked, pushed, and smiled for almost 4 months now. I feel for everything we have needed to do locally we have had to jump through hoops. For starters we were given the run around by doctors offices. Im talking RUN AROUND. Some said they wouldnt sign our paperwork, some said they wouldnt do the 7 panel drug test we were required to have. Some wouldnt take our insurance. When we finally found one we had to apply to be a patient there and wait. We were approved PTL. Then they automatically scheduled us appointments. Of course we had to cancel them because they were at times we were working. We rescheduled which was way too much confusion since we got accepted by two different people. Apparently mine never got canceled so I showed up for the rescheduled visit and was told that I didnt have a appointment and that I had been a no call no show for my actual appointment. ( I cried that day also) I rescheduled that day and was told that if I didnt come to that appointment I couldnt be seen because you can only reschedule twice. ( I didnt even respond). Finally got a appointment and loved the doctor. Got paperwork signed only to realize She is actually a nurse  practitioner. Meaning my paperwork is probably not even valid and will have to be done again.  Next is my passport. I went to walgreens to have my passport picture taken. They had their photo lab closed for construction. So over to Walmart i went. I had my picture taken and I smiled. As I am walking out of walmart Jeremy says they wont use that because you smiled. I turn around and go back on and they told me if it doesnt work you can bring it back. This was my day off last week.
 My day off this week.I had a dr appointment in athens afterward we went to the aim mail center ( they did our fingerprints and we really liked them) well they dont do passports ( even thought they have a big sign apparently they only  expedit passports. We headed home, I then find out that you can fill out the paperwork online and print it out and take it to the post office which saves time. So I did. Three different times because I kept finding errors. Then on the third time it stopped in the middle and announced the printer was out of black ink. So to the church I headed. Printed it out and headed to the post office. All paperwork in hand  my drivers license, the photos, and my birth certificate. Oh we dont do that here was what I heard. So fighting back tears I asked where can I get it done?? Athens or Madisonville post office. I had just been in Athens that morning for a doctor appointment. 

Those are just a few examples of me working all day on my day off to get a particular task done and at the end of the day still no where near it being done.

I am tired, I am frustrated, I am sad, I am overwhelmed, I feel defeated, I need your prayers.


2 Corinthians 4: 17-18 “For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long.  Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever.  So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen.  For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever

The process is not easy. . . .

    I wish I could tell you that adoption was simple. I wish I could persuade others to adopt because  of the easiness of the process. Unfortunately its just not the truth. Adoptions hard. So many twist and turns and unforseen hold ups. So much hard work and effort goes into the process long before you wrap your arms around your child, long before you even lay eyes on your child.  I often sit and wonder how others get through the process without God?? How do folks get through any of lifes trials without Him??
      Adoption is tough no one knows that better than people who have and are going through it. However the love is easy. The love comes so natural. Often even before you see a picture or even know who your child is. It actually makes sense who would work so hard and put so much effort into something if they didnt love. If they didnt have a ultimate goal. They just wouldnt.
    We know that we are adopting from Hong Kong. We know that our child will be somewhere from 6 months to 3 years old. Most everyone knows that we have specified that we would like a son. We know that we will spend 4-6 days in Hong Kong meeting and bringing our son home. We know that we have chosen a name that we love, for now we call him Baby C. We know that He will have developmental delays and possible other moderate to severe special needs. We know the facts.
   We know the emotions the pain of just wanting him here so badly. The exhaustion of knowing we still have tons of paperwork and questions to answer. The ache of knowing we will go through another Christmas without Him. The hurt of know we are more than likely missing another birthday. The pain of this is real.
           We also know the pain of others not understanding our decision. We know the excitement that overflows within us. We know the joy it brings  to share where we are in the process. That does not come without the negative. Those who say mean things whether meaning to or not. Those who look at us in disbelief when we tell about our little one. Those who say we should try longer, or try other options to try to have "our own". Those who suggest we stop trying and it will happen. Those who ask why we wouldnt adoption from the US. Trust me we have heard it all. We try to smile and not let it get to us, but it does.
         He is our own. Baby C is our child. Ok so not biologically, but thats just DNA. Cant you love someone who is not linked to you biologically?? Ok maybe some folks can't, I dont know but I know that we can. I know that we will, I know that we do. Before God created the universe He knew us all. He knew our situations He knew our lives He saw our future. He knew Baby C would be  ours. He knew I would be his mother.
       Its so simple yet others cannot understand. Im not sure of how to explain it, but I know that I cried out for a child and God heard my cries. He didnt answer in my time. He didnt answer the way I might have thought, but He answered. I believe that however motherhood comes its a miracle.
My child is a miracle and He is loved. The process of adoption is not easy, but the love is.

I know I am his mother

"Your proud of your baby."  Thats what a guy who I just met minutes earlier said to me one day last week. I sat there for a moment shocked at his bluntness. Knowing that He was absolutely right. I had not even known him 30 minutes when I found myself sitting in his office sharing our story. I didnt even mean to, but when asked if I have children I cant help but share that yes I do but He lives in Hong Kong right now, oh and did I mention I have never met him. I dont know his age. I dont know what his birth given name is.. But I know I am his mother.
                I dont talk about our adoption because im proud of what were doing. I dont talk about our adoption because we are saving a orphan. I  dont talk about our adoption to get a pat on the back. I talk about our adoption because I am amazed at how faithful our God is. I talk about our adoption because it has changed my heart and the way I view so many things. I talk about our adoption just as a expectant  mother would talk about their pregnancy. I talk about our adoption because its always on my mind. I talk about our adoption because I am in love with a baby I have never met. I talk about our adoption because God has answered my prayers for a child. i talk about our adoption because I want others to know the joy we feel. I talk about our adoption hoping it will inspire others to pray about opening their homes and hearts to a child needing a family to love them. I talk about our adoption because im still amazed this is really happening. I talk about our adoption because its my favorite subject. Theres a million reasons why I talk about our adoption but I like the way a stranger put it best.
I talk about our adoption because I am proud of my baby.

Baby C is a ..........

 Would you like to specify the gender?? We were asked  weeks earlier while sitting in our adoption agencies office. We looked at one another without a clear answer and finally our adoption specialist said its ok we can always fill that in later, Ill mark unspecified for now. l.  As the weeks went by we prayed and discussed the answer to that question. We had always said that we would not specify gender because we really didnt care either way. We would be thrilled with a boy or a girl Like most men Jeremy wanted a boy . We didnt have to pick we could leave it open and see if we were referred a boy or girl. However the more I prayed the more I felt God moving in my heart and life and I felt with quite certainty that I was going to have a son. I cannot explain why but I feel so strongly about this that we have specified to adopt a male.

Please do not think that this means that we would not be absolutely thrilled to have a baby girl because we would. We will love our child whether they are a boy or girl, but we feel that God has given us clear direction and instruction regarding this matter. 


So its with great pleasure that I announce that Baby C is a boy and we are beyond thrilled that because of Gods faithfulness and perfect plans we will have a son!!

What I want people to know about my baby

                 What I want people to know about my baby is they are not second choice. I will be upfront and honest I get very frustrated when I hear folks talk to me or about me and how if only I could have gotten pregnant "we wouldn't have to do this". I cannot stress enough that we do not" have to do this" God has called us to adopt, but we have freedom of choice. However we wholeheartedly embrace adoption and we choose this. We are excited and extremely humbled that God would chose us to be parents to a child without a family. . What a honor it is.

             I know its hard to understand, but I love my child. I dont know him/her but I can feel so much love for them. I want people to know that. I know that I cannot even fathom the love that will come when I see their precious face or hold them in my arms.

            I want people to know that we understand that for the rest of our lives we will be a transracial family. We feel very strongly about this. We dont want to bury our heads in the sand and live life pretending were not. We want to embrace our differences and rejoice in our individualities. We  know that we will be stared at and asked blunt and often rude questions we are ok with that. I cant say we will always be ready to answer or wont get offended, but dont think we dont know all of this is coming. Our families story will be a story of Gods faithfulness and we hope to turn stares and negative comments into a testimony of what God did for us.

        I want people to know that its ok to be scared. If your nervous about this adoption its ok. If you have questions, but are afraid to ask or think you will offend us. Please ask, we wont get offended if its not asked with a mean spirit. I feel so much better when people ask questions because it shows they are interested in the process and have genuine concerns. If you are worried that we are already inlove with a child and are afraid that things might not work out then please pray for us. The best thing to do is cover us, and our adoption in prayer.

  I want people to know that when I invision my child, I dont see special needs, although I know they will have them. My hope is that others wont see there special needs either, not because I want to hide them or pretend they are not there but because they do not define my child.

   I want people to know that we have prayed for this baby for YEARS. I know this is hard for others to understand because they get stuck on the "no you prayed for a biological child, or no you prayed to get pregnant". When in reality I begged and cried out to God for a baby.

I want people to know that God answered. No I didnt look down and see two pink lines. I wont feel my baby kick from the inside. I wont have a ultra sound and hear those words ITS A  ..........

But God answered just what I asked of Him.......
I want people to know that.

Our adoption anthem

This is our adoption anthem. With each word it describes how God has and is carrying us through this journey. It testifys to His faithful and love for His children.

Momma loves you Baby C

Changes

          Wow There have been ALOT of changes for us lately. First off  Jeremy changed departments at work. :) I cant say that more pay was involved but :) :) :) :). What? I didnt say anything. I also have a new job and will be working at Kmart in Sweetwater starting tomorrow. My last day at Polar Freeze was yesterday. Of course most everyone knows We moved to Sweetwater so thats also a big change for us.

 A mist all the excitement and  chaos we prayed, discussed, prayed and discussed and our sweet baby has a name :) Although were not sharing it yet. So for now baby C is the only hint you get.

As if that was not exciting enough we raised over the $2400 needed for the home study. With people handing me donations today and folks starting new fundraisers. I am overjoyed by all this and so thankful that God is for our adoption .Every time I have any doubt come to mind He washes it all away!!!

  We are discussing with our Adoption Specialist what dates are open to schedule our home visit and are hoping to schedule it for July. We will be so excited and relieved to have this step under our belt. When we hear back from our home study hopefully that were approved ( pray pray pray). We will reveal baby Cs Name :)

So lots of changes have been going on, but all good ones. Our God is so Faithful!!!!!!

Thank you for your continued support and prayers.

Two Announcements you dont wanna miss :)

   We have two announcements to make :)   First off we are naming baby Malone a "C" name.

           When we moved into the house were renting in Sweetwater a few weeks ago as we were moving in  we ran across a alphabet magnet the letter "C". We had been discussing names prior to this and so we decided that we would take this as a sign and go with it. Baby Malone will now be called Baby C :) for now.

                                        Announcement 2

           We are overwhelmed at what God is doing in and through our adoption. Between tshirt sales, our yard sale, friends and family donations, my tips from work, our go fund me account donations, and countless prayers  I am beyond thrilled to announce that we have done it. Oh but wait We didnt do anything GOD HAS DONE IT.

We needed 2400 for our home study ( before we can complete it)
Yesterday I totaled up all donations plus money we have already raised and we only needed 258.52 to have  the 2400 needed.

I am excited to announce after some friends and family gave we now are above that mark. Our money raised total is $ 2658.52.  In case you havent done the math we are 258.52 over.

Thats just plain amazing!!!! We thankful that God touched the hearts of so many and that they followed
His leading and gave so generously.

God is in control and when we step aside and allow Him to work we see just how powerful He really is.

**Some of these funds have not actually come in yet, but are promised through Cupcakes for a cause. As long as everything goes well we will receive those funds by June 29th. :)

Our God is amazing check out our financial report :)

Wow isn't our God amazing?!?! He has blessed us tremendously this week!!!! First off I have been sick first with a sinus infection then the stomach virus. On my worst and sickest day I happen upon Cupcakes for a cause: Bring home Baby Malone on facebook. If you havent heard of it click here . I was completely overwhelmed to see Mandi had taken it upon herself to help us raise the remanding money needed for our homestudy. She already had tons of orders by the time I found it and it was absolutely what I needed to see that day. Here is the comment I left when I first found the fundraiser page

Um I accidently found this. Somehow when Brooke ordered it showed where she did on my page. I was just scrolling down my newsfeed and saw Brooke had commented on a cupcakes for a cause page but then I saw Bringing home Baby Malone and I was floored. Then I obviously clicked on the page and I of course cried when I read your intro on the page and then saw how many have already ordered. It is overwhelming to see how others have scooped there arms around us and are at times carrying us through this journey. I have been so discouraged lately Mandi I feel like I am constantly begging for money and I just wish I didn't have to. I have been praying but so often I give it to God but then still go back and try to pick it all back up and do everything in my own. I wanna finish our hone study so badly and I have been grasping at any and every fundraiser idea but I can't do them on my own. I am so thankful that you stepped forward and did this for us. I look at all the orders you already have and think of all the work you will have to do and I just cannot tell you how much it means to me. I know you wanted this to be a surprise but I am home with a stomach virus, and as if that's not bad enough I got a email earlier letting me know our home study fee is 30 days past due. I have no doubt that God knew I needed this today.

 Within  48 hours $531 has been raised!!!!!!!!!!!! Our God is good!!!!! 

Ok so lets do the math......


$2400                   Homestudy
1322.52              money raised
225.00                donated to Gofundme
$531.00            Cupcakes for a Cause
$50.00             (if we sale) 10 tshirts
$30.00             money raised at a premier designs jewelry show

2158.52             Total


241.48                  Total money needed 




We can do this!!! If you feel led to donate you can do so online at our gofundme account just click here.  
If you are interested in purchasing a tshirt click here.

Please continue to pray as we try to finish this important step in our adoption process. 

Cupcakes for a Cause: Bring Home Baby Malone

Check out this awesome fundraiser a friend of mine started and within 12 hours has already raised $531 for our adoption!!!!!'

Cupcakes for a Cause:Bring Home Baby Malone

A Lifebook for Baby Malone

     Ok guys I know its early on but I wanna document it all. I want our child to know that they were wanted and loved long before we actually knew them. I am starting their lifebook.

Whats a lifebook???
Lifebooks are tools that can be useful in working with children in out-of-home care and children who have been adopted to record memories and life events that occurred prior to placement as well as when the children were in placement. Lifebooks can help children retain connections to people who have been important in their lives and may help the children integrate past experiences with their present circumstances in a healthy, constructive manner.


Obviously alot of the lifebook is about the child and there lives in their home country and how they came into their family, but I want to also show the fundraising, the waiting, and everyone that was excited, prayed, helped, had well wishes and so much more.

So this is the beginning Im challenging everyone who bought shirts to take a picture of you wearing your shirt and send baby Malone a message. Your message can be anything. You can tell how you felt when we first announced we were adopting, you can tell them about us, or anything you wanna say.  It can be funny sentimental, heart felt, or anything you choose to say.  Please particpate even if you didnt buy a shirt :) You can send them to my email stephaniehmalone@gmail.com or post them on instagram with the hash tag #teambabymalone my instagram user name is STEPHANIEHOPE1989.You can also post them to our  facebook.

Lets show baby Malone how loved they already are and how excited we are.
Thanks Guys



Heres some of mine

Someone gave us your first car seat a few days ago. Cannot wait until your home and riding in this.

  ---Momma

You already have plenty of books. We will have alot of stories to pick from to read at bedtime.  -----Momma

Very first adoption Newsletter. Letting friends and family know we are Adopting :)

Updates and Prayer Request

  Hey guys Just a quick update and post to let you know how things are going. Most of you know we moved to Sweetwater a couple weeks ago, and things have been going great. We love our new home and its location. We love being closer to our church and church family.
       We have been trying to complete the last few pieces of paperwork for our home study so that once we raise the remanding funds needed we can complete our part of the home study. We still need $1100. ( we are selling more shirts and have a gofundme account just saying ;) ) That being said we need your prayers. Please pray for our doctor appointments. I dont wanna go into too many details because im not the type to bash any business online, but lets just say we have been given the run around more than once. So please pray that we can go have our appointments and they will fill out our paperwork and send it in. Also pray for us as we fill out two life changing and extremely important pieces of paperwork. We have put them off and prayed and prayed and the time has come to fill them out and we still dont feel ready (one of those things we probably never will feel ready for) pray that we would fill them out the way God wants us to and not listen to our wants or what others want us to do. Also please continue to lift up the funding of our adoption in prayers. I know God has a plan and so often we try to figure things out on our own and it only leaves us tired, frustrated, and overwhelmed. We need to TRUST HIM. Pray that Jeremy and I would continue to do that.
    Pray for our child. I dont know who He or She is yet, but God does. God has always known. Before He created the universe He knew me, He knew Jeremy, He knew we would fall in love ( eventually) He knew that we would desperately want a child of our own. He could give us one, but He had a greater plan. He knew that we would want a family so badly that we wouldnt give up, and He knew that we could love a child who biologically was not our own. He knew that matching DNA would not matter to us. He knew that our love would not have boundaries or limits. He knew all this and then He saw them. He saw a child, He saw their situation. He saw that they needed a family, and He knew exactly what to do. He knew who would love them, He knew who would provide the best life for them that they possibly could.. Im so thankful that God chose this child for us and I am overwhelmed that He chose us for them. 

Continue to pray for our adoption and for us as we continue on this journey to our first child.

New Tshirts :)

           After my last post two sweet friends donated a total of $215 to our go fund me account http://www.gofundme.com/8q2v58.  I am so thankful for everyone and there willingness to give. Since our last tshirt sale did so well we decided to sale more shirts. They are new shirts by the same company if we sale 10 that is when money will go through. We have until June 22. We want to sale as many shirts as we can before then.  You can check out the new shirts here https://www.bonfirefunds.com/jeremyandstephanies-fund. Thanks guys and please spread the word.

Halfway there. . .

We need $2400 to complete our homestudy. We pay at the end so we have been trucking along getting paper work and interviews done. We have done training, some have done more than others ;) but that's irrelevant. We had a tshirt fundraiser (which by the way our shirts have shipped) We made $345. We had a yard sale where we made over $500. We have had strangers donate to our gofund me account online. We have had others we know and love give donations as well. We have made it half way. We need $1200 to have the complete 2400 for our home study. We have doctor appointments set up for this week, and a few other pieces of paperwork to complete. Then we can set up for our adoption specialist to come to our home and do our home visit. That will be the last part of the homestudy. Then we wait a few months to hear if we were approved. After approval of the home study we can apply for grants, loans, and many other financial aids. I have begged, I have pleaded, and I am tired. I have been sick this week and maybe thats part of my discouragement. I am so broken down and discouraged. I wish I could just pay the money and bring my baby home, but thats not my situation. I wish I didnt need to ask for help or depend on others, but I do. I believe that God is using us to show others that you dont have to have the money. You dont have to know how you will provide the finances for the next step. You just have to step out and trust Him and He will take care of the rest. We all get discouraged, we all break down but God is working all things out for our good. He has a plan and we are on His timeline. 

Please continue to pray for our adoption. For us to be strong and determined, for funding, for the home study to be approved, for us as we file out paperwork, for our child, for all aspects of our adoption.  

If you feel led to donation to our adoption you can do so at this link.

http://www.gofundme.com/8q2v58