Adoption Fundraiser Success!

Yes, the next Groman will be an Ohio State fan by popular vote :) I just couldn't resist this outfit and had to get it for Baby G!
This isn't even ALL of the donated items!! And the garage was FILLED!
The kids played on the boat we are selling after they helped serve Lemonade and Lunch to the customers.

What a success the adoption fundraiser was! I was really nervous about having the garage sale at my house because we have only lived in this neighborhood for two years and I haven't seen many garage sales compared to where I used to live in Country Club Hills. There, people would be lining up down the street at 7:30 in the morning! However, I should have known that the Lord would provide for this family, he has a good record :) He has certainly provided in the past year of my life in regards to my health, so why should I have doubted Him now, right?? Over $800.00 was raised from all of the donated items and ironically, that is just enough to make the very next payment to the adoption agency! God is good!

I am so blessed to have a sister in law that I love just as dearly as my own sisters and am possibly the most excited Groman (besides Tim and Beth of course) to hold this precious new baby boy or girl! My prayers are constantly with the birth mother as she carries my future niece or nephew and with Tim and Beth as they go through all the emotions as they wait for their first child. I was just looking through some of my cards that I received through the mail when I was going through treatments last year and so many of them talked about trusting God in the trials of Life...the adoption process can take on a lot of emotions and isn't guaranteed to be an easy process, but in Beth's words 'I believe that God's blessings often come through the storms in our lives. I'm confident in the future that He has for us.' Me too Bethy! I get teary eyed thinking about the future of this little one and how many people are praying for him or her already!

So thank you to all who donated either items for the garage sale, donated money, or just stopped out to show support. And thank you so much to our awesome neighbors who also had a garage sale to get more people out in our neighborhood! There were sooo many items donated from Ft.Wayne that they filled a whole truck AND trailer to bring to Lima and so many items donated from Lima that they filled the trailer back up and are having another garage sale in Ft.Wayne! Possibly the neatest moment was to see this little girl come out of a van and hand Beth a $5.00 and say 'I don't want to buy anything, I just saw the sign and thought I would give this to you.' What a little angel, and to meet so many people who have been on both sides of the adoption process and to hear their stories! And of course, my nephew who put a box of ants in the donation jar 'to hold Beth over until the baby gets here' :) My prayers are with Tim and Beth, and you too little one...we will welcome you with open arms!

I thought I'd share some pictures from the last few years of us Gromans, the first few is us at a good friends wedding, the other is us showing our OSU spirit, and the last is the first picture taken of all of us together in 2005.

I'll write in a couple weeks when I get back from my road trip traveling the east coast. Please pray for our safety as we travel (Kayla, Katie, and I), and that I use this time of new experiences to really develop this new Laura in Remission :) I am so excited for the opportunity to travel with friends! I can't wait to tell you our stories!!!!