Another step done

    Kyle and I got our finger prints done today for our adoption journey!    I keep rejoicing in these small steps!    This journey is the complete opposite of Judah's story.    We both felt going into this adoption that it really was going to be different, but at the same time I would like it to go just the same because then we know what to expect.     But we know that it just doesn't work that way.     
        
 Please be in prayer and consider sharing our story with your friends and family.   Growing your family through adoption is costly, there's no way around it, but I will tell you that it is completely worth it!    It is worth not just watching a family come together, but it is worth showing the love Christ to the birth family.
We just were able to talk to Judah's birth mom on her birthday last week.   Words cannot express the love we have for her.    We are still in awe of how blessed we are to have her choose us to parent her son.   She is more than Judah's birth mom, she is our friend even though she is far far away.

We are needing to send a large payment to our agency here within a few weeks so if you could share our story and pray.   Please pray for our journey and watch as God does his work!
We will be doing either a raffle or highest bidder on a little something Kyle is putting together so stay tuned for that, all my gun sport loving friends.   
Also our growth charts will be for sale as well.   Still getting the price of those.     They will be as pictured or a slight variation.   Stain will be the same, or no stain at all, your choice.   :)


Looking forward to see God work, and donations roll in!
Love you guys!

Garage Sale time again!

     Oh the joys of putting another sale together!    We are 2.5 weeks away from our fundraising garage sale.  If you have anything you'd like to donate we can start receiving items now.       We are looking for larger items as we do not need an over abundance of clothing.       Furniture you may not be using anymore, shabby chic items, etc...those are some things we may be looking for.     
     I tell myself don't forget the reason "why", because that is what drives us.   I have a dream board/vision board in my kitchen that I see everyday.     I use it for my Rodan + Fields business, but you better believe the adoption is on there.     Let your "Why" drive you.

Even though we are moving slower I am thankful that God has His hand in it and I give up the control, that I feel I need, to Him.    His timing truly always prevails.      Our social worker had to remind me of this this week as we talked this adoption journey again.       

We have hurdles and fees due.     I will be really real with you now.     $3000 due  now and an even larger amount due after that.        Would love all the help we can get from our friends and family.     
If you would like us to send one of our letters out to you let us know by commenting below or messaging us on Facebook.        

We are excited as to what this 2016 holds for us.     It's going to be good because the hills and hurdles have been real.

Here we are

        We have been sitting and took a break for about a month and we are back at the adoption ball.       It has been a much slower process then our journey with Judah.      I do believe that it is all worth it.       Kyle and I have some huge goals financially that we are trying to meet and we really need your help to do it.     2016 is going to an awesome year.   The word Jubilee means a great deal to us from our family, to business, to friends.     This little girl is amazing, joyful, and full of life.

May is a very busy month for so many and with summer there are weddings and vacations and so much more.     So in June we will be starting to take donations for another adoption garage sale!     I put off this garage sale for a long time because if you don't remember 3 years ago when we did our last sale it was a tiny walking path to the front of our garage to the back, with everything stacked up above our heads almost.    It was nuts, but it turned out amazing!        Now I don't want that again, but what we ask is if you are in the area and have any furniture, or somewhat larger items, to let us us know.    We want to limit our clothes this year unless they are baby clothes, or baby items,  and in really good shape.      

Another idea we are trying to put together for maybe late July is an outside movie night and cookout.    Still working on the details for this as well.

I ask that friends would share this on their Facebook page, instagram...etc....   Get the word out and any amount helps and adds up like crazy.    The Donation link is on the right hand side of this page, it says "Donate".    If you choose to do this, you can choose the option to donate to friend or family so we do not get charged a fee.     It is all run through paypal which is how we did it last go around.

Thanks so those who have donated already,  love you guys and I am excited to see God move some mountains!!!    Please join with us our crazy adoption journey again.

Right where He wants us

     Waiting, Waiting, Waiting.   That's often times how adoption works.     There has been a lull, a down time in our journey.     You know, when it feels like you are not even moving ahead at all, we are, but majorly slow, and this is just hard thinking about that today.    
Each adoption is different obviously, but round 2 is not going anywhere like our Judah's adoption did.          
     I want to be at the point of saying yes to getting matched with a child and having the financial means to be able to write that check and get this thing going!        We are finishing up our homestudy still.     We have had a few connections if we were ready financially to move ahead on with a couple agencies, but we know it's not the right time.        
   We need obstacles to be moved and funds to roll in, if you are wanting me to be real honest with you...

I am using these feelings though as a drive to push me in the right direction.       Push in my business, push on raising funds, etc...      
I am dreaming big and leaning on God to give us clear direction.      
He knows it all, He knows the next step, He knows how much we're leaning on him.    But that's the way He wants it right?      Yes, yes it is.           
He has us right where he wants us.

Reminiscing & memories of a strong woman

       We have been chugging away on our stack of papers and "to do's."      As I was working on our profile book this evening, the book that birth mom's are able to view and see who we are, what we stand for, our family etc...,  I was going through pictures of Judah's birth and his amazing mama.  

  I was brought to tears just remembering those moments with her and remembering her face, her expressions, her love for Judah, as well as her sadness, yet being strong in the midst of it all.   I remember the day she left the hospital and we said goodbye.    It felt like I was saying goodbye to a best friend that I would not see for a very long time.   My heart ached that day a lot as I held Judah and cried.   As I prayed for his mom as she was wheeled out of the room that day.       I love her, I always will.    It is an honor to be able to raise her child as our very own, and to be able to call him our son.   There is just so much good in that right there.     She chose the best for him.     Her love is great.

Each story is different in adoption, I don't now how this next story will go, but I pray nothing but good of course.      God is good.

    

Make more copies!

     We just finished up our Trades of Hope fundraiser and I'd like to thank everyone who was able to purchase and attend that virtual event!  We raised funds and helped women around the globe!      

    

     This beginning stages of paperwork has come in the mail this week and I've been working on it in between naps and what not.    What was nice is I didn't have to search and search for our taxes!    And I even made a folder labeled "Extra everything", which means I copied 2 of each item and stuck it in there.  Because you know what?  You WILL need it again for something else.     

    So all you people in the adoption process, just start making extra copies of items that you need for that 1 stack of papers you are filling out.  You will more than likely need it for a different stack/form again.               

  

     I had a wonderful friend, whom we haven't talked to in quite awhile, call us yesterday.      She is in Texas and we stayed with her when we went their to adopt Judah.      If you have not heard that story about God putting things together for us in Texas for lodging then by all means I should recap that on another post.     But let me tell you God was in the fine details.    We didn't pay a dime for lodging and we gained a friend who we did not event know in the beginning.    Not just her, but her children, her grandchildren, her sisters family, and even more.   I could just go on and on about that.     It still blesses me knowing we have "family" down in Texas :)         Who knows maybe this next little one will be born there too.

      Thank-you so much for the donations we have gotten on our blog through the "donate"  tab on the right hand side.  You guys are awesome and thanks for being a piece and a hand to help along our journey.       

     We still have a ways to go for a goal financially, but God is in the details.   We just keep moving ahead as planned.       

     We love you guys and continue to pray and share our posts with your friends and family.    Spread the good news of adoption!      

    

So our Facebook event starts on Sunday and we are already getting orders in!   Make sure you check out facebook event here through this link.
Facebook Trades of Hope Fundraiser

Thanks so much for the orders that have already come in!!    
Thank-you Thank you Thank you!!

Trades of Hope Fundraiser

       Just within the last few days we have been asked many questions regarding adoption and even Judah's story of how he came into our lives. I love sharing our story and I love sharing the love we have for Judah's birth mom and the joy that he brings into our lives! 
We are so excited about this precious little girl out there that God has chosen to come into our lives. We are excited for her birth family and we pray for them and for her. We don't even know if she's born yet! We just know that God has her ready for us when that time comes. 
Our homestudy should be complete by end of April or very beginning of May. We ask that you'd join us by sharing our story. We have a goal we would like to hit by then, as we could have a sweet face by June or later. Please help us along the way.

   I promised a Trades of Hope Fundraiser and here it is!   This starts on Sunday, but feel free to look and start finding items you love so you can check out on Sunday!    
 The link below  will go directly to our fundraising party.  
Trades of Hope fundraiser!

 Thanks for your donation and your prayer support!    
   

State side

    2016 is looking like we will be growing our family to a family of 4 instead of 3.     Judah will get a sibling state side!       Our hearts are full of love and so we are adopting an infant sometime this year I hope.   And Haiti will be following soon after the little arrives home with us.    
 So what does it look like to adopt from the US and internationally?   Well, we are still uncertain as to if Haiti will allow a dual adoption process.   So the way Kyle and I look at it is 2016 there will be another baby girl in the Hillerud home sometime and then we start 2017 with our Haiti adoption.

Some think we are a little crazy in the head and you know what maybe a little! But when there is a birth mom choosing life and needs to find a loving family for her baby then let me help you.    When there are children being left in orphanages in Haiti, and all countries for that matter, Let us do something.     "Something" equals charities, giving, praying, being a voice, and then some are called to help through adoption.    

   Please continue to share our posts.  We have a long long ways to go and every little bit counts.  
I just shared with somebody about collecting change for us and they are willing!    If you can do that please let me know.  

I am having a trades of hope fundraiser towards the end of February, beginning of March so please stay tuned for that!      
Please remember we have our donate link to the right of our blog - "Donate"  as well as linke to our GoFund Me page.   So 2 different ways to donate.   If you would like to send anything to us directly contact us via facebook private message.  

Thanks so much for helping us!