2011

The next couple of days will be busy so, Happy New Year to everyone! Almost 2011, can you believe it?

N: Next year I plan on being the mother of 4 great children. Brooks will be 8, Luke 7 and Campbell 4, Russian Gal ???. They are each so wonderful and difficult in their own little way. It is amazing to see the differences in their personalities as they grow. I love them, all of them!

E: Everyday brings a new surprise to the Hanna home. Between two crazy boys and a prissy pot girl, the fun never ends. Excited also begins with "E" and I am so excited to see what this new year will bring. I am also expectant that God is going to do amazing things through our family this coming year.

W: Wed......Curt and I will celebrate 9 years of wedded bliss this coming year. Where has the time gone? I am so thankful that God called me to walk beside Curt is this life. He is my very best friend, he makes me laugh harder than anyone. He is my favorite!

Y: Yearning for another child across the ocean. I cannot explain the feeling when you look at your kids sitting on the couch watching TV and you realize there is someone missing, a spot on the couch is empty. The tug on my heart is so strong it hurts. I just know that whoever this other child is, they are going to be loved on a lot by everyone!!

E: Exercising, training and getting ready for the 5k Run for the Children "Orphans" on May 7th in Abbeville. You should be gearing up for this too if you live in the area!!!

A: Aging!!! Curt and I will be 30 this year. I may have a major meltdown. I have already told him there will be no celebrating whatsoever on the 25th of June. I am getting old and am not loving it at all. Pretty soon my kids will think I am a dork and they will roll their eyes at me.....wait, they already do that!! Oh well!

R: Realizing that our time here on earth is limited and we should make the most out of

everyday. I have been reading the most amazing book "Choosing to See" by Mary Beth Chapman.

I won't spoil it for you, but it is all about their family's journey through life, death and hope after the

death of their youngest daughter Maria Sue, who they adopted from China.

So, my wish and goal for 2011 is to look at my family in a different way. I want them to have manners, love each other and Christ too. For me though, I want to live each day knowing that in the end when we have to stand before Christ, the main thing I'll have to show for this life will be the spiritual children we bring into His kingdom. Our children will be our present to Christ on His throne!

Time to Train

We are so pumped about the upcoming 5k run/walk for orphans! The date is May 7th, time is TBA!!! Check out the Abbeville Spring Festival website for more info. Hopefully by next week there will be an online sign-up sheet, so keep checking!!!

Holiday Photos

Wanted to share a few pictures from our Christmas! We had two wonderful days filled with friends and family! Our house is a mess, but our hearts are full. Merry Christmas everyone from the Hanna family!!!

Me and CG

The Hanna boys getting ready to jump the ramp they received from Rena

Powell Kids and their spouses!!!

Us at the Hanna gathering

Austin, Meg and Me.....all grown up, sort of!!!

Christmas is Going to be different this year

We've all been so busy getting ready for the upcoming holidays and gatherings. From cleaning, washing clothes to wrapping presents, we have been swamped. Our goal this year was to stick to a budget, which we have done well with. We sat the kids down and explained that the only way to bring little sister home, was to save money this Christmas. The kids each sat down and wrote a letter to Santa, keeping in mind that there is another member of our family across the ocean who probably won't get anything for Christmas this year. Our oldest, JB, totally gets the entire selfless thing and began to write things he wanted for his new sister. I told him there would be plenty of time for that next year, but I love his train of thought. Now, while we do our best as parents each day to instill these principles in our children, this aching heart, this longing for someone who isn't here with us only comes from God. While we all sit around our tree on Christmas morning, opening the gifts that were bought with love, we know that somewhere is a snow covered building there is a young girl who perhaps might be crying, hungry, cold, in need of a family to love and care for her. How can you help you may ask? Well, check out the rest of the blog. Purchase a tee, hoodie or some coffee. Come run the 5k "Race for Orphans" in Abbeville this spring. PRAY and spread the word, making others aware of our journey.

Yes, this Christmas is going to be different than any before. I've been pregnant during Christmas many times, but that child was with me. This year, we are "expecting" but have no idea what our child is going through. So this year, before the presents are opened, we are going to pause and pray for our youngest daughter, who will hopefully be with us next Christmas! Merry Christmas little one. Your mommy, daddy, brothers and sister all love you and cannot wait to see what you look like, know your name and hold you!

Merry Christmas everyone!! God Bless!

5k Race

Curt and I had our first official meeting today in Abbeville with the young lady in charge of all the events that take place in A-town! Curt called her a few months ago with the idea of hosting a 5k race in order to raise funds for our adoption. When he talked to her, she said "wow, do you mind if we join in"? Of course Curt agreed and here we are, planning side by side with the city of Abbeville. They are funding the entire race, and all proceeds will go to us!!! How awesome is that?! So, with that said, the race is on Saturday, May 7th at 8:30 am. This is the weekend of the Spring Festival, so there will be a ton of visitors in our area. The registration fee is $25 and that will get you a really awesome tee designed by, well us!!! Registration will begin in January and I will have a a link for that site as soon as it is available! Keep a look out for information in the near future! Have a very Merry Christmas!

All I Really Want For Christmas Music Video

Christmas Frenzy

We are RAISING funds for our Russian Adoption. Adoption Tees and Hoodies are for sale on this blog! We are looking forward to bringing our little Russian princess home! This Christmas give a gift with a purpose and help give a child a forever family!

Please visit this blog! The Christmas Frenzy is a great way to help families seeking to adopt!

Krasnoyarsk (Siberia)

We don't know yet what our little girl's name is, nor do we know what she will look like, but we do know what region of Russia she will come from. We thought it might be sort of fun to share a few Krasnoyarsk tid-bits to give you an idea of where Curt and I will be traveling to...hopefully sooner rather than later.

Krasnoyarsk is a very large region in Russia. This particular region is 3 times larger than the state of Texas. This region stretches from north to south which means the climate changes dramatically the further south you go. Winter lasts 5 months, spring is very short and summer and fall are nice. The city borders one of the greatest rivers in Russia called the Yenisey. We are looking forward to seeing these sites while over in Russia.

Continue to pray for us as we seek financial support for this adoption. We are saving every penny we can, but that is still not enough. We are applying for adoption grants and loans, and if it is God's will, we hope to gain assistance there! Also be in prayer for our little one over seas. We don't know where she is, what she is doing, if she is cold or hungry, but we do know that God is watching over her!!! Thanks to all of you who have followed us on our journey so far!!!

And the play is OVER

The boys have been puppies in the GCT production of 101 Dalmatians. Now while I do love the theatre and attending shows, I am pretty much exhausted from these past 4 weeks of rehearsals and performances. Our boys were absolutely precious and could throw down some dance moves! RLS played a mean Roger and I had no idea that he could dance like that! Needless to say, after leaving yesterday's performance I took a huge breath in and let it out. Oh, and wrestling starts back this week....no rest for the weary I guess. I am glad to be busy, taking my children to events they enjoy! Life is not about sitting around but getting out and experiencing life together and building relationships!!!

On another note, the dossier is COMPLETE!!! WHOOHOO, the paper pregnancy is over! We sent it off today to the secretary of state and then from there it goes to be translated!!!! Now to rest and anxiously await THE call!

Bowlin' (featuring Chris Tomlin)

Catalyst 2010

We just got back from Catalyst 2010 and can I just say that these past few days have been a roller coaster ride of emotion. Curt left this past Sunday for the national YMCA conference in Albany NY, and so on Wednesday we drove to the airport in ATL at 10:30 p.m. to pick him up and then got a hotel to rest before the Catalyst conference. Curt has been raving about this conference since he went last year, so I was expecting a LOT!!! I had a great time and a few of the speakers really rocked my world. Andy Stanley's whole take on the Jacob and Esau story ripped me apart. Esau gave up everything for a stinking pot of stew. What are you giving up for "stew"? The stew could be more money, another man/woman, fame??? It was genius! There were times where I was truly convicted and wanted to fall on my face before God, then there were moments of anger as I learned more about human sex trafficking!!! The frustration came when I realized how tough a road we have traveled and learned that it may not get any easier for a while!!! There are so many ups and downs in church planting and no one can tell you the right way to do it! Each individual has a different story, went about it a different way and they all receive different results! My prayer is that we follow God's plan, not our own. The highlight of the conference was Craig Groeshel.

Video of the conference was "Bowlin'" featuring none other than Chris Tomlin or C. TOM....it is too funny! Check it out in the post below! Adoption news, our dossier is being notarized by a friend, and we will mail it off as soon as everything is finished!!!

An overwhelming feeling of being unorganized

It's been a few weeks since my last blog post. I am partly to blame, but truly our lives have been ultra busy these past few weeks. Both boys scored rolls of Dalmatian puppies in the local theaters "101 Dalmatians". The rehearsal schedule has been crazy, so there are very few nights at home. On top of all that, we have had a stomach virus, cars breaking down, doctor's appointments and lots of school work to do!!! We finally have all the pieces of our dossier together, I have just got to get myself together and make it look nice and neat and then have it notarized. We are so close, but yet so far away..............there are many ups and downs in this roller-coaster ride of life. Like Curt said the other day when he picked us up on the side of the road from our broken down car, "there is no one I'd rather go through this life with". That is so true, God gave us each other for the ups and downs!!! We are going to catalyst in a couple weeks and are looking forward to having some grown-up time while learning more about God's call on our lives. Have a great Saturday everyone! Time to watch those "shamecocks" loose to those ultra confused tigers/war eagles of Auburn.....seriously, who has 2 mascots???:)

Tee's Are In...........going fast

The awesome adoption tee's are in and are going fast. Since Monday, we have been so blessed to have sold over 13 shirts! People are showing that they care about what God has called us to do and are supporting us with prayers and financial assistance! If you would like to order a shirt and cannot contact me through facebook, please email me at morgan@ocgreenwood.com! The shirts come in 3 designs, the yellow one is for girls only and the other two are unisex. They are Anvil organic preshrunk cotton. They are super soft and are oh so comfy! Hoodies are in the making as well, so stay tuned for that!!! Check out the awesomeness!

A quick trip to North Carolina

On Thursday evening we loaded up the car to drive to visit some great friends of ours who live outside of Greensboro NC. The trip is about 4 hours one way so we decided to break the trip into and stay a couple nights in Charlotte. Let me just say this, if I could live in a big city anywhere in the US, Charlotte would be my pick. It is such a kid friendly, artsy town. Everyone was so nice to you and the atmosphere was awesome....just ask my hubby;)..sorry Curt!!! We took the kids to Discovery Place which is a children's museum, but it is unlike any I have been to before. The entire place was math and science based, so Brooks, my science fanatic was so excited. There was a really cool rope bridge in a rainforest, sea animal petting area, fossils to look at and a huge room full of nothing but blocks where you could build your own buildings and create these awesome drawings to display on a wall. Oh, also there were tons of microscopes where you could look at bacteria and germs....not my thing but the boys loved the gross stuff. On Saturday morning we headed to Greensboro to visit Mike and Angie West. Mike was having a surprise 30th birthday party and so we just had to go and see him! We were able to relax with friends and met some really nice people from North Point Church who will be awesome contacts in the future. Not to mention.....they love Justin Timberlake SNL skits just as much as I do. My stomach hurts from laughing so hard. We made it home in one piece and back to reality we go!!!

I Choose You Necklaces

So I have some pretty amazing friends who would do anything for me!! One of them, Amy, helped me design these great necklaces that we are selling to raise money for our Russian adoption. I told her what I wanted, she helped me pick it out and then she oh so sweetly put them all together. They are so cute, the pictures do not do them justice I promise. Each of these is made using a wax pressed idea. The double heart symbol in the center is so sweet and since these are done one at a time, no two are alike!! You can get them in plain silver, or they can have a stain of color added to them. The outer circle has five beads representing the 5 members of our family as we wait to add one more!!! The lady that makes the pendants is awesome and does great job. The price is $25 and over half of that will go to helping pay for our trip to go get our Russian Princess!!!! Let me know if you want to order one. You can email me, facebook message me or check out my etsy store! Thanks in advance for all your support. Oh yeah, the tees are being printed!!!:)

Pre-order your adoption tees

Well, our awesome friend Eric Hawthorne has done another great designing our adoption tees that will go up for sale in the next few weeks. We are currently taking pre-orders, so if you want one (the pricing is still up in the air, but it won't break the bank), shoot me an email.....morgan@ocgreenwood.com! I cannot wait to get these out to our friends and family! So cute!!!

"I Choose You"

I have been racking my brain trying to come up with ideas for our adoption "title". We have been over and over ideas and slogans to get our adoption news out there so that we can begin our fund raising efforts. I ran across this really neat lady on Etsy who makes wax seal jewelry. I contacted her to see if she could design a pendant for us and allow us to sell the necklaces to raise money. She immediately agreed and now I have some really awesome jewelry in the making!!! I called my mom this morning to ask her to think of a title for our cause. Since she is so creative, she came up with the idea of "I Choose You", based off the book I'd choose you by John Trent. It is this really sweet story that helps a child learn self expectance. The main part of the story that drew me to the title was this quote....

And if I could teach her each day that she is God's special gift, especially on those days when she doesn't get picked...Guess which one I'd choose every time? I'd choose YOU!"

This quote did it for me. So now we are on Etsy, check us out and support our cause!!!! More items will be posted in the near future! Help us to bring our little russian princess home!

Adoption Update

Just an update on how things are going! We go to Aiken tomorrow for our final home study meeting. If you ever adopt, and need a home study, so with Adoption Advocacy out of Greenville. They get things done, no breaks. I am so thankful they were the first folks I got on the phone, they have made this process a whole lot easier. After tomorrow is finished, then we will get back to getting the dossier completed, hopefully by the end of the month we can turn that in. Among other things, we have all been very busy hanging out together at the lake and enjoying summer vacation. It will end soon, BOO, so we have to cherish every moment we get. Brooks has really enjoyed reading some chapter books this summer, and is very thankful for his library card! Luke has found a new love, his BIKE!!! He rides all the time. CG's new thing is being Miss Independent. She doesn't want any help getting dressed anymore. I think yesterday's outfit consisted of stripe shorts, purple top (on backwards), and cowgirl boots (on the wrong feet). She was straight stylin"!!! Today we took the kids to the YMCA in Anderson...who knew they had a water park??? They were playing some pretty awesome music and then "Love Shack" came on. Nate(my nephew) started breaking it down and I'm not even lying, I was right there with him. That boy has got some moves!!!! I am so very thankful for each one of these crazy kiddos! They are certainly a blessing! Cannot wait to add another to the bunch and give her a forever family!

All 3 kids fell asleep in our bed a few nights ago. Notice the cat A.K.A "the spawn of Satan"....yeah this is prior to him being put outside for good!!! Seriously, that cat was not nice all the time!!!

!

Home Study

We have been in a huge whirlwind around here for the past 2 weeks. Aside from normal everyday events like, eating, sleeping, summer bridge work with the boys, my master's work, we have been redoing the house and are in the process of getting ready for our home study. This is the first BIG event that we are going to encounter for this adoption process. We know that the agency is NOT really concerned about our house all that much, BUT mostly the focus will be on us as a family. However, me being the overly worried russian mother to be, I want me house to look good and feel like a home. So I have worked Curt and his help to the bone getting this house in order. It is an ongoing job that will continue over the next year or so.

The home study process will take about 6 weeks to complete, that is if we get all the paperwork completed in time. I am hoping to be on top of things and organized so that we can move on to the next step which is completing the dossier a.k.a becoming "paper pregnant". So, we are asking for you guys to remember us as we look on to Tuesday morning! Such an exciting meeting, but so nerve racking.

P.S. Eclipse at midnight on tuesday.......I am so excited! Have a great week!

Random pics and accepted!

We were accepted to the Russia program this past week, so we will continue with that for the next......well, I don't know how long! Our next step is a home study, which we have already begun! More on that later, just excited to see it unfold. I am excited to say that I have started making little girls dresses and if I get good enough I plan on selling them and using the profits to bring home our little girl from overseas. Curt told me the other day that we need to stop doing this so slowly!! I was a little shocked because he is the one who is normally so laid back. He said it is time to get her, his cinderella number 2!!!! People ask us if we are sure, can we handle it? There isn't anything to say but she is our child. Our life is busy and complicated yes, but God has never promised us a laid back and easy life. This is just simply the next step fro our family. God has called and we are going to answer! We are always going to serve God and when He says take care of my orphans, well, we have heard that request and are trying to follow through! I want my own children to learn to love unconditionally, not seeing races or color! It is time!!!

Clay night at LCP

First Grade awards night

CG at Luke's Graduation

Things can change in an instant

Two weeks ago, after mailing in our first of many payments to the adoption agency, we received a call saying that Kazakhstan has closed the door and frozen all adoptions until further notice. We were needless to say a little sad, but we just trust that this is God's way of saying "Trust Me". Since then, we have been praying specifically about two different countries. Both Rwanda and Russia are great choices, but Rwanda is a new program and is a little iffy right now. So, we are currently in the application process "AGAIN" for the Russia program. I am so excited about this country, very close to the one we wanted before! I'll keep ya'll posted!

It's official

At about 4:20 today I recieved a call from America World Adoption Agency. This was a call we had been waiting on for a few weeks, the call to tell us that we have been accepted into the adoption program for Kazakhstan. We are thrilled, nervous, scared and diligently praying!!! There is so much more still left to do, we are only beginning this process. So glad that God has chosen us to go on this amazing journey, the journey to give one more orphaned child a loving, and Christian home. We invite you to pray along with us as we begin the adventure of a lifetime. I am constantly reminded that this life is not my own. My job on this earth is to make a difference, look at the big picture. What kind of legacy am I going to leave behind? How do I value success? Following Jesus' call for our lives is what we are called to do, OBEY Him! So, we are so glad to be following God to Kazakhstan!

Mother's Day 2010

This marks this first mother's day that my boys are old enough to surprise me with a gift where I really had NO idea what they were doing. The boys woke up before 6 this morning, using the alarm clock aka....the timer!!! They came giggling into our room and got Curt out of the bed. I slept for a few more minutes and then got in the shower. When I got out, my oldest son had a card for me and I smelled breakfast cooking. The boys had come up with the wonderful idea to feed me breakfast before going to church! They fixed me an eggo waffle and coffee of course! They were so sweet and I loved watching their faces as I dug into my meal! Thank you to all of my wonderful children, I am so blessed to have the opportunity to raise you. Precious children we love each other and God!! If this is all I accomplish in life it will be more than enough!

On another note, we are continuing to pray for God's will in the Kazakhstan region! We are beginning our journey to international adoption. After over a year of prayer over this idea, we are now sure that we will be adding one more precious gift of God to our family! Like I said, it is only the beginning of a long and exciting journey. We feel as Christian parents, it is our job to show and teach our children about unconditional love. What better way to support this than through adoption!!! Sooooo, here we go!!!

Praying for kazakhstan

dear friend Sharon a.k.a mi-mi, informed me this past Sunday that one of her countries to pray for is kazakhstan! Those of you who know us know the importance of this particular country, so I am asking for everyone to pray for this country, its leaders, its people, that they would seek forgiveness from their sins and allow God to have full control! So ready to get the ball rolling on this one! It is gonna be a wild and exciting ride, so Curt and kids...hang on tight!!!!

There are so many Mary's

I love reading other church planting wives blogs. This evening I was reading one called "My Night With 2 Strippers".......needless to say I was like what???? Click on the link and read about the life of 2 ladies who desperately need Jesus! Oh how He loves us!!!!!!!!!

http://www.churchplantingwives.com/?p=631

8 years and He still amazes me!

Anniversary number 8!!! Really, 8 years? The time has flown so quickly. Our oldest son reminded me today that he would be 7 in 2 months and my mouth fell open. He is right I guess, and that means that I am getting old! So, what can I say about Curt that would let you know how awesome and amazing he is? Words cannot even begin to describe what a blessing he has been to our family. He makes up for what I lack..............

I'm shy is certain situations, he, of course, isn't shy at all

I'm the energizer bunny when I get home, he reminds me to rest

I'm the early riser, he makes me sleep late

I'm so unsure of our future, he lets me know that God holds our future

I'm not that funny, lacking in personality, he is hilarious and loves a good joke

He amazes me, makes me laugh harder than anyone ever could, and is my very best friend. There is no one I'd rather grow old with. I pray that we are that old couple sitting on the porch one day, rocking in our chairs, holding hands, while our great grands play in the yard. I love him and I know that he feels the same way. In a world where marriages end in an instant, I know that we are committed to each other. Happy 8th Curtis!!!

GREAT Book!!!

I just finished reading a great book this past week. It is called "You Can Still Wear Cute Shoes" by Lisa McKay. As a church planters wife, or pastor's wife, there is very little GOOD literature out there that isn't "SUPER Spiritual"!!! I've read the ones where you are supposed to stay at home and clean all day and when your hubby walks through the door you should be vacuuming in heels and pearls! I even read one where it teaches you to be the best hostess....pshhhh, I don't think I would ever pass that course! This book is a bit more down to earth, and I can actually say I was able to relate to Lisa quite a bit. From her fears for her sanity to the way she helped encourage her husband, there are numerous stories that every pastor's wife can appreciate. At the young age of 28 I sometimes feel that I am in this boat alone, no one really understands the role of a minister's wife. Yet, I found myself laughing till I cried as I read some of the roller coaster rides that Lisa and her family have been through. This life is tough, but knowing that there are people praying for you as you follow God's call, that makes it 100 times better! READ this book! Pastor's buy this book for your staff members wives! They will thank you later!

Happy Birthday baby Elyn!

Precious

All 3 grand girls!!!

CG thinks she is her own personal baby doll

My little niece was born this morning! After a long, hard pregnancy, Mary Elyn Hanna came into the world weighing 6 pounds! She is beautiful just like her sister! Congrats Ryan, Wendy and big sis Brantley! We all love you!

A visit with the Via's

A couple weekends ago we had such an awesome experience that no one ever thought would've ever happened. When you meet people in college who you know but you don't really know, know, you think, "they are really nice, I wish I could've gotten to know them better." Then, you graduate, go separate ways and don't think twice about it. With the use of blogs and facebook, we have had the opportunity to reconnect with tons of people from college who are doing amazing ministry across the nation and the world!We were able to bring Josh and Tasha Via down from N.C. to come and lead service for our group at Oasis. The Via's have an amazing ministry from leading worship, to recording awesome CD's, these are some of the most talented people you will ever meet. Tasha and I were in the music department together at NGC, I studied music ed. and she studied music performance. Josh and Curt were in christian studies together, but Josh and Tasha were 2 years ahead of us. What a blessing they brought to Oasis. Josh and Tasha took some questions from our congregation about relationships and Godly submission and did a fantastic job answering those questions. I am so thankful to have had the chance to be part of this special day at Oasis. Here is a picture of all the Via's and all the Hanna's at lunch. Between the two families, there were 10 people in our house...such fun....not much warm water, but still, lots of fun!!!

Sidenote: NGU is the most amazing college ever, send your kids there!!!!