Our adoption applications have been mailed in – we are excited and nervous! :)

We have applied to adopt through Life Choices in Memphis, Tennessee.  We heard about Life Choices through our wonderful friends, Dan and Alana Rasbach, who adopted their precious little boy through this great organization.  Life Choices ministers to women with unplanned pregnancies by providing counseling and medical care.  Life Choices gently encourages these ladies to choose to give life to their child and make an adoption plan for their baby.  We are so excited to partner with this organization in helping give a precious little baby life and a loving family!

We have applied to have our New York social services (homestudy and post-placement supervision) done through Bethany Christian Services.  Bethany Christian Services is a Christian organization and the nation's largest adoption agency.  We are hoping they will assist us with all the necessary social services and paperwork we need to have done here in New York.

The applications with both of these organizations have been mailed in, and now we are waiting, praying, and hoping that we will be accepted by both of these organizations and that we can move forward with the adoption process.

Christian and Abbie have been adjusting so well to life in New York!

They have their own rooms now!  Abbie has purple, France room, and Greg even made her a special Parisian cafe where we all have tea parties.  Christian has a blue, Australia room, and he loves showing people his "cool, blue, Austrlbia" room.

In our neighborhood there are 5 amazing libraries within 2 miles of our home!  Each of these libraries has free, special programs for little ones.  We've participated in PJ Party Night, craft events, story time, singing, cupcake making, etc.  It is such a blessing to have 5 great libraries with lots of fun free, fun activities so close to us!

The weather in Long Island is amazing!  It's so mild compared to the brutally cold, snowy winters in Ohio and Michigan.  It's so nice to be able to go outside in a light jacket and sweater, and feel totally comfortable!  Christian and Abbie loving being able to go outside every day.

Our neighborhood has nice sidewalks so we can go on lots of walks and bike rides.  There is a fire station just 5 minutes from our home (Christian LOVES this!) and a park just 10 minutes from our home.  Below are a few pictures of our most recent trip to the park.

Over the past three weeks I (Rachel) have been asked many times, "What is the biggest difference between New York and the Midwest?"  I can answer in one word: DRIVING

The 5 Biggest Differences Between New York and Midwest Driving
5)  Merging  In New York the merging lane is very short, so most cars must come to a complete stop before merging onto a parkway or interstate.  I'm used to zipping along a long merging lane and filing onto the interstate with ease, but in New York if you zip down the merging lane you'll probably get slammed.  You have to stop, look for a brief opening, and floor it onto the parkway!

4)  Red Light Cameras  In New York most traffic lights have cameras that take pictures of car license plates that run red lights and then those car owner's are mailed a ticket.  The effect is that as soon as the light turns yellow people either gun it (what I usually do) or slam on the brakes (what Greg usually does).  Rarely do people run red lights, and when they do you almost always see a camera flash and you know they're busted!

3)  Aggressive Driving  In New York you are either an aggressive driver or you get run over.  It is extremely rare for someone to "let you in," instead you have to sort of nuzzle your way into a lane.  At first I was very timid about this because I felt rude, but I'm starting to learn the art of nuzzling.

2)  Horn Honking  In New York you get honked at all the time.  If you're not going fast enough, if you're going too fast, if you don't get over, if you cut someone off, if the light turns green, if the light doesn't turn green, etc.  In the Midwest horn honking is rare, and I still jump almost every time someone beeps their horn.

1)  Rushing  In New York everyone is in a hurry and you better not get in anyone's way.  The second the light turns green the horns start honking if you don't instantly hit the gas.  There aren't a lot of speed limit signs because they know most people don't bother to look at them.  Everyone is going as fast as they can.

So - over the past few weeks this Midwest girl has been learning a lot of new driving techniques - I'm faster, more aggressive, and hopefully soon I'll stop jumping every time I hear the honk of a car horn. :)

This past week has been a whirlwind!

Monday:  Packed up our moving truck and said "Goodbye!" to our sweet Ohio friends.

Tuesday:  Drove 10 hours east.  Greg's dad drove the moving truck, Greg's mom drove their car, and Greg drove our mini-van.  The kiddos did really well, and only cried the final hour of the trip.  (Who can blame them for that?  I felt like crying too after being in the car so many hours! :)

Wednesday:  Drove the remaining 4 hours to New York, and arrived at our new home (see above picture)!  Lots of awesome folks from our new church helped us unload our moving truck in record time, and loaded up our refrigerator and pantry.

Thursday/Friday/Saturday:  Unpack.  Clean.  Build Furniture.  Unpack.  Clean.  Build Furniture.  Unpack.  Clean.  Build Furniture.

Sunday:  Our first Sunday at Long Island Abundant Life Church!  It was such a joy to be with our new church family for the first time!  We feel so loved and welcomed already!


We are finally all moved into our new home!  There are just a few boxes left to sort through, so now all that remains is to paint the walls which we plan to do one room at a time each Saturday.  Each week as we complete a room I will post pictures of that room.

We love our new little home!  For the past four years Greg and I have rented apartments, but we are now renting a little four-bedroom house.  I love the feel of having my own little house - it's really wonderful! :)

Today is Greg's official first day at the church, so today begins our new "normal" life.  The church is only 2.5 miles from our home, so Greg will be biking to church each day leaving me with the mini-van.  I'm excited about being able to take the kiddos places during the day, a luxury we've never had before!

Thank you for praying for us during this transition time, and please keep praying!