Slowly By Slowly-Negrete Adoption

Late 2013 we had decided to wait for a little while to adopt and to explore Chris going to UCLA. In January I felt more content than I can ever remember, something I've prayed for years to feel. I'm not patient but for some reason I felt content in waiting on the adoption and just fully content in pausing. I wasn't trying to hurry ahead or jump on to the next things (which I feel like I've done since I was 17).  Mere days went by and God prompted us to adopt... And then we got more news...more change. The fear crept a little deeper and took a stronger hold. We realized if Chris went to school we would loose insurance and that can't happen or else our adoption is paused. And the fear crept a little bit deeper, choking a little more..... And then we got more news. Chris was accepted to UCLA. And I cried, big, ugly, scary tears. Chris rejoiced and I sank into my fear. This HUGE opportunity is such a blessing. He will get to study what he loves and I'll be abl...

Sweet one, there are going to be so many doubts. We know this is confusing and scary and we can imagine it makes you question everything. But in the midst of the confusion, there are a few things we want you to know. Like deeply deeply know, at the core of who you are. Sweet one you are WANTED! Not just that you were wanted so we adopted you as in past tense but that you are currently and forever will be wanted. You have a lifetime of being desired and longed for. We promise to seek after your heart, we want to know you fully, who you are, what you love, your desires and joys. We want to know your fears and insecurities and we want to face those with you. You'll never walk this alone, we are here to love and guide and encourage you. We want YOU! But sweet one it gets better! You have value beyond measure, you will never grasp you worth until one day you sit at the feet of Jesus and He is telling you of His great love! Your whole life He will softly be wooing you, drawing you cl...

Jubilee's Jewels is an awesome online jewelry store. They carry tons of necklaces and bracelets for men women and kids! Many are customizable and you can add keepsakes onto them. I purchased the Africa cut out necklace shown here. I asked for the tags to say "slowly by slowly" which is kind of the theme of our adoption. You can make them say whatever you like! And see those little pearls and hearts...you can add or change those as well! Tons of amazing options to bless yourself, friends and family all while helping us bring our family together! The best part is, from today through Saturday we get a portion of the purchases who use our code. All you have to do is go to  Jubilee's Jewels  and shop. If you are purchasing more than one item, please buy each one in a separate purchase because we can get the max amount of proceeds that way. Use the code NEGRETE in the comments section when checking out.  At the end of the week,  Jubilee's Jewels  will send our ...

We had a 2 1/2 hour call last week, and an hour call this week with our social worker...Can I just tell you I LOVE our social worker! She is easy to talk to, understands our concerns and is willing to walk the distance with us. She is preparing us for each step of the journey but also helping to prepare our hearts to be parents to our child. I'm so grateful for her expertise, she makes me feel protected in a journey that often feels very uncertain. We are inexperienced at this whole parenting and adoption thing but we've never felt demeaned or like our infinite questions are silly. We will be starting our home study soon...hopefully this week or next. I've realized I've thrown that term around and it confuses many people. A home study is basically an assessment of us as individuals, us as a couple and our physical home. It is a thorough study to make sure we are ready and capable to adopt. It's a long and often time grueling process but I appreciate that they look...

I think this post is mostly for us but you may be blessed by it as well. There are two things w e quickly became convinced of...1. God LOVES Adoption and Satan HATES Adoption. We constantly are reminded that the struggles we encounter are evidence of a spiritual war we are in the middle of. It's vital I remin d myself that the battle is big but God is bigger and He loves and celebrates adoption! What a Mighty God We Serve!! This post is to help me remember God's love and work in our adoption so I can battle the doubt and frustration of Satan's very real involvement in the struggle.  We've seen God walking this journey with us hand in hand. Some days are discouraging but through His grace, God grants us little bits of hope which encourage us deeply 1. Within 2 days of finding out I was loosing my job, an exciting job prospect popped up. I'm in the middle of interviewing and praying and seeing how God provides. 2. Our puzzle...

There's no doubt adoption is expensive. We are diligently saving away and living on a tight budget. It's extremely humbling to ask for help but we can't do this alone. We've prayed about how to fundraise well and are committed to being honest and trustworthy with your support. If you'd like more information on the breakdown of costs, we have included estimations given by our agency under the " Our Ugandan Adoption " at the top of the page We have purchased a 252 piece puzzle to make and eventually hang in our child's room. On one side is the Ugandan flag. We hope our child is proud of being Ugandan, we want to keep the culture and spirit of Uganda alive in our child and in our family! On the other side, we will be writing the names of people who have financially partnered with us. Each puzzle piece is $10 and you can purchase as many as you like. Then tell us what name you would like on the back. It could be your name, someone you want to honor,...

This post has been the hardest to write. I've struggled to figure out how to put it into words but we want to remember each step of this process. Adoption isn't easy and the past few weeks have been hard. We want to be honest about the details as hard and frustrating as it may be. We strongly believe two things. First, Satan HATES adoption. He is the thief who comes only to steal, kill, and destroy (John 10:10). Second, God LOVES adoption and He has come that we might have life and have it to the full (John 10:10). We know God deeply loves the orphan, he sets the lonely in families (Psalm 68:6), he cares for the marginalized and the least of these (Matt 25) We knew before we started our adoption that it often brings a spiritual battle. With that being said, we didn't fully realize what that would look like for us and how many ways we would be attacked. The day after we submitted our application, Chris' car needed an almost $500 repair. Chris met with an orthopedic...