hi, nice to meet you!

hi, nice to meet you!

(me + my hottie hubs)

I am really excited about this new year + this new vision god has give me for this new season of life.
change is happening.
I’m going from being a wife who owned/s her own photography business + also a Noonday Collection ambassador (who traveled to Africa 5 times in a little over a year), to a stay at home momma!

whew.

but it’s a really exciting season.  I’m loving being home with my babies.  I’m loving getting to do life with my friends in real life + my bloggy friends.  mommy hood has brought a whole new facet to my relationships.  plus this adoption process has expanded my small world and I am so grateful for the people I’ve met along the way.

I have some really exciting things happening here this year.  and I can’t wait to tell yall what God has laid on my heart to do.  in a few days I’ll share 😉

but before we got started – I just wanted to know who the heck I’m writing to!
I love to write, writing is my therapy + writing is a way for me to document our story.  a treasure my kids + our family will have forever.  a reminder of all Gods done.

so I’d love to know how I can encourage you – I’d love to know what you are passionate about – I’d just love to know who YOU are!

I updated my “about me” section here.  a little bit about me + why I blog + what I blog about.
so now, I told you about me.

your turn…..

Hey, I'm Wynne!

Hi, friend! First, I truly am so giddy that you are here. I want you to know I believe in you and all the ways you are growing towards living a more intentional life.  I genuinely hope you are encouraged from our time together here.

A little about me, I’m a type 7 on the enneagram, a total extrovert + people lover, entrepreneur, connector, storyteller, people gatherer, and passionate wife, mama + friend. I feel most alive when I’m exploring new places and surrounded by people I love. Give me a day in the outdoors disconnected from wifi, and I am a happy girl. I run on oat milk lattes, Jesus, gratitude journaling and kitchen dance parties with my four kids.
Welcome, come on in!

let'e be friends

  1. Amanda Reed says:

    Hey Wynne! I found your blog through my friend Krista Box as I followed her adoption journey and Noonday involvement. Turns out, you and I are both Baylor Bears! I always get so excited when you post something about Baylor.

    My husband and I just got married in August, and we both have hearts for Uganda and pray that adoption is in the Lord’s will for our future family. Your blog brings me JOY because I see Jesus in your words and photos.

    I’m also a huge Fotolanthropy fan and can’t WAIT to see your film! Thanks for blogging, Wynne! Happy new year to you, Stephen Camp+Asher!

    Amanda Reed
    mrsamandareed.blogspot.com

    • Wynne Elder says:

      Amanda! Thanks for saying hi! It sure is a small world!! Baylor noonday fotolanthropy 😉 and adoption! I have a few friends (krista included) that have adopted from Uganda. Adoption is a beautiful thing. Can’t wait to see where The Lord leads your family!

  2. stacey says:

    wynne! i’m becoming a stay at home mama this year too! well, and reopening my etsy shop. 🙂

  3. Morgan says:

    your story is so beautiful! i just love your family, so so cute.
    we are a bilingual family of four who love to try new things, and travel and learn about other cultures.
    after having a micro-preemie, and a miscarriage, i had surgeries to fix my uterus and was able to carry a baby.
    we are content for now, but international adoption has always been in my heart. maybe some day we can make it happen, god-willing 🙂
    happy new year!

    http://thesmoreslife.blogspot.com/

    • Wynne Elder says:

      Morgan! You are so cute! Thank you for your comment & sharing about your family. How long dud you live in brazil for? Your NYE there sound magical!! Your kiddos are precious – sounds like a long road to where you are now! Truly a redemptive story!
      Thanks for reaching out!!!!
      Oh and I’m a baby wearer too 🙂

  4. Jen says:

    Hello.
    I love following your story and can see Christ working in and through you in so many aspects. You’re truly an inspiration.

    I’ve been married almost 12 years to my Marine and Adoption is most definitely in our future.
    I just landed my dream job working at a local Church camp and can’t wait to dive into God’s Work for children.

    <><

    • Wynne Elder says:

      hey jen! thanks for saying hi! wow what a story you have! that is amazing that you & your family make the sacrifice for our country – thank you! AND i love that you are a compassion advocate! we love compassion and advocating for children to have sponsors all over the world. it’s amazing.

      thank you for your sweet words. adoption is a wonderful thing – praying god leads yall to that too 🙂 and church camp!!! camp is my passion (hence our son’s name) and it just wasn’t what god had for me/us to do full time and so when he broke our heart for adoption, camp’s name made sense. gods plan – different than ours, but better than we could have ever imagined!

  5. Love, love your blog! Your story is amazing and I love seeing Camp and Asher grow and hearing your “new mama” moments. Y’all have such a testimony and I have really enjoyed following you through your adoption journey. Can’t wait to hear your upcoming plans! 🙂

    I’m a fellow Baylor grad (married to a fellow Baylor grad for 2 1/2 years) and work in PR in Dallas. Super busy, but never a dull moment…that’s for sure!

  6. Hi Wynne – I follow your blog and your family story because it is a very small world we live in! Facebook suggested that I should be your friend – even though we do not know each other. When I wondered why it thought we might know each other, I found it is because we have many mutual friends in common for these reasons.
    1. I grew up in Midland, TX
    2. I went to school at Auburn University
    3. You were apparently my sister’s pledge trainer at Baylor 🙂
    I’m sure you can imagine why Facebook suggested the match. I have followed your adoption journey ever since and prayed for those sweet babes of yours!
    ~Amanda Burleson Watkins

  7. Hi Wynne,
    I’ve been following your blog about as long as I’ve been following Give 1 Save 1, probably about a year. My hubby and I have four bio. sons and are now adopting from DR Congo (waiting for a referral- ugh).
    I am so thankful Camp and Asher are both home. My heart and prayers really went out to you when things stalled with Asher’s adoption. God is in the business of making beautiful things, though, isn’t He? Your family is beautiful!
    – Jenni

    • Wynne Elder says:

      that is amazing! adoption is a beautiful thing – and even more amazing that your bio boys can see that example and adoption will be a huge part of your story! will be praying for yall as you wait for your referal – that is a hard time but oh so worth it when you see that sweet face!!! thank you for praying for our adoption story! it’s been wow, I just can’t imagine if we would have said no. god IS in the business for making beautiful things!!

  8. Elizabeth says:

    I’m newish to the blog too! My husband and I were diagnosed with infertility about 2 years ago. We pursued domestic adoption and are parents to a sweet mixed race boy that is not 7.5 months old! My husband is the Associate music director at our church and part-time university instructor. And I’m a Spanish teacher. We’re having fun but are very tired!! 🙂

    • Wynne Elder says:

      yes elizabeth! i’ve loved getting to hear from you & see your sweet boy! how was the domestic process? I don’t know much about it, but have been learning more through a friend who’s adopting domestically. that is amazing. is yalls adoption open or closed? spanish teacher! muy bien! thanks for sayin hi!!

    • Elizabeth says:

      You are so sweet to comment on all the comments! 🙂 Based on what I’ve read on yours (and Lauren’s at “Traded Dreams”) domestic seems “easier” in that there’s not the international travel and dealing with other country’s governments. BUT, it’s a process very focused on an directed by the birthmother. We have a very open adoption and are close with his birthmother and just met his birthfather a few weeks ago for a Christmas celebration. Open adoption was scary and intimidating, but it is also very God-ordained in our situation and we feel blessed N will be able to ask her questions as he grows up. 🙂 We’re interested in international adoption in the future, but are intimidated by the process and also kind of scared that after picking a country they will change the rules or close the system (like Russia). I guess we need to let go and go where God leads, right!? 🙂

    • Wynne Elder says:

      hey girl! it’s so interesting to me how we all have DIFFERENT perspectives! I am interested in domestic adoption but it’s scares me! ha. i guess whats unfamiliar is usually scary. lauren is a good friend of mine, glad you read her blog too 🙂 but back to adoption . yes, totally where god leads you. there is a need EVERYWHERE. i think it’s cool that he gives us all different hearts, passion and perspectives. your story inspires me!!

  9. Mrs Gray says:

    I’m here because God did a number on this small world we live in and reconnected us after many, many years in our grandparents’ cul-de-sac. I’m glad to be following your story and praying.

    • Wynne Elder says:

      pretty amazing, huh? i love how god works, connecting us and then me & your mom. he is SO in the details!!!! connecting us when we were little and then back around to NOW! love it!

  10. Stephanie says:

    Hi Wynne – I only really know you through other people, although we both went to baylor. i have thoroughly enjoyed watching your story unfold and praying for you along the way… then i started following you on instagram, and feel like i know what’s going on with you and your little cuties all the time 🙂 i really look forward to seeing how motherhood shapes you and takes hold in your life, as you seem to bring grace and beauty to many challenges. thank you for sharing your heart through your blog, it has been beautiful and encouraging!

    • Wynne Elder says:

      stephanie! thanks for saying hi! you look so familiar to me – oh baylor 🙂 what I love is meeting & becoming friends with people NOW from baylor that I didn’t even know then. such a small world. thank you so much for following our story! and instagram….I love it, b/c it’s so quick and easy and I love to keep those memories so I can look baack! your son & daughter are so so precious! maybe next year at a baylor game we’ll run into each other! thank you for your encouraging words so much!

  11. Hi Wynne! I have loved lurking around your blog and Instagram as my hubby and I journeyed through domestic adoption. I’m now a momma to almost five month old, John, aka Chocolate Muffin. I’m pretty excited for 2013 as I’m pretty sure it’s going to hold some radical changes as we pray about new ways to glorify God with our gifts and talents! Thanks again for your honest, encouragement and heart! Excited to see how 2013 unfolds for your family, too!

    • Wynne Elder says:

      ashley! thanks so much for saying hi! i have been to your blog too my friend & just read your post on open adoption! thanks for sharing your heart – I think that is so helpful to people who are praying through that decision — i pinned it on my adoption board on pinterest. don’t ever want to lose track of those great insights as I never know when I/a friend might need advice & wisdom from someone who’s done it. i love what you said about radical changes in your family – i’m right there with ya! may this year be even more devoted to GIVING away our gifts and talents for the sake of the gospel!

  12. lindsay says:

    hey wynne, i’m a fellow noonday ambassador so that’s how i found your blog. i’ve been so encouraged as i’ve followed your adoption story. you have a gift for writing, and i love your honesty in sharing both the joys and struggles of life.

    • Wynne Elder says:

      hey lindsay! thanks so much for sayin hi! i love how noonday connects us 😉 i got a seeko clutch for christmas too & have a passion for shopping with a purpose! and I LOVE your post about new home. love it. that’s such an amazing thing & i know from working with “those kids” that it takes time but they love love love and jesus can do something incredible through you even if it doesn’t feel like you are making much progress. you are! hang in there!

  13. annieglan says:

    Hello Wynn,

    I found your blog recently. I’m the bio mom of one. Adoptive mom of two (one foster care one private domestic). We will be starting the process soon for our fourth and final babe coming up in may. Our original plan was to adopt from africa but we couldn’t afford to.

    I am still trying to find out how Asher came to be a part of your family. If there’s a post on that would you mind sending it to me?

    My blog is addingmembers.wordpress.com

    • Wynne Elder says:

      hey annie!
      thanks for saying hi! your family is beautiful! that is amazing that you get to expierence all forms of motherhood – bio, foster, domestic & what is the 4th 🙂 not international? i know that africa is expensive but trust me, god is the god of provision and will supply your every need! and i have lots of good fundraising ideas 🙂

      ohh yes asher – I need to write a post JUST about her and I’m working on it 🙂 so stay tuned – but in the mean time, I talk about it a little here: http://elderadventures.blogspot.com/2012/05/camp-asher-story.html

      🙂

    • annieglan says:

      Thanks wynne. I will for sure look out for Asher’s post. 🙂

      I know I should trust God when in comes to international adoption and the funds needed. I wish I was that strong. With our fundraising efforts we had we didn’t get far, but we started the process and that door was closed shut (at least with the agency we used). But my passion for Ethiopia inspired my best friend to adopt from there once she realized bio kids weren’t going to happen. She’s been having some issues with the agency and the 2 year wait makes me scared.

      We will most likely do domestic again. I think we might open our foster homestudy again after our sons finalization (only a week away) . If we are blessed with a child through that before may comes that will be perfect. We are very open with what we can handle.

    • Wynne Elder says:

      good!

      girl, it’s all a trust thing. and is IS scarry. there are so many fears and what ifs that went on in my head and heart all the way through the process. but that is what was so cool was building that faith. being broken and god transforming me through that process in a way i couldn’t have been without that brokenness. i’ll be praying for yall too as you seek what is next. i have no idea what is next for us & it’s scary and exciting. he could literally open any door! asking that he would stir my heart! i would love to know more about foster care – that scares the crap out of me! not sure how you foster moms do it but i am truly so grateful for people like you that do that! i think it’s such an amazing ministry! and so cool that your bff is adopting from ethiopia! god moves in all sorts of ways!

    • annieglan says:

      Wynne, you are so cute. I think with any adoption it’s pretty terrifying. At least with me. This is my thought process every time. “Is this the path that God wants me to make to meet my next child? Am I going to miss the biggest sign He could throw at me? Where and what does God want me to do?” I felt that with foster care, with domestic, and now with which agency we will use next. I would like God to outline a path for me, like the Fidelity commercials. I know and truly believe everything happens for a reason. If we didn’t look into Ethiopia first and waited the required 9 months before starting and then to only get shot down, we wouldn’t have felt like there was no other path but foster care. Which would have meant we wouldn’t have our daughter. We were called on her before we got our license. If my heart wasn’t completely stomped on through foster care, we wouldn’t have started a private adoption and obviously wouldn’t have our son. So, I am grateful for all of our heartache because it lead me to where we are. If one day was off our path would have been so different.

      In one of your other posts you talk about, always saying yes so you don’t get God mad. That’s me. I always say yes. And it’s funny because my friend (the one adopting from Ethiopia) was saying the exact same thing to me months ago to help me through our failed adoption.

      FOSTERING WAS THE HARDEST THING I HAVE EVER DONE! And I nearly died during childbirth hahah. Our mindset was not fostering, our mindset was adoption. I have horror story after horror story from people and kids I know. That being said, it is an amazing thing, and I wish my mindset would allow me to love and let go. I plan on adopting teens from fostercare when we are older/ and or we have more space our teeny home is not ready for bigger kids. It’s barely ready for a fourth (we just knocked out a closet to make more space).

      If you have any questions about fostering just let me know. I will be totally honest with you, I always am. But it truly is so rewarding.

  14. kpitcock says:

    Hey Wynne! You took photos at my grandmothers birthday a few years ago and all of my family is from midland. I love adoption and blogging in general. I like follow Gods journey through this forum. I am also a start up writer and like to see how other people document!

    I’ve been married to my Marine for 3 years and have a 15 month old boy. Our life is full of surprises!

    http://Www.kalliefrances.com

    • Wynne Elder says:

      hey! oh yes!! that was such a fun party – yall totally made me feel like one of the family & I really appreciated that! so glad that you found me & said hi! adoption + blogging = pretty awesome. i’ve met some amazing people this way! i love your blog too – your son is precious! keep writing! it’s a great form of therepy 🙂

  15. You are incredible sweet friend and I’m loving reading all of these stories !:-)

    • Wynne Elder says:

      love you! I’m about to crawl into bed & dig deeper into all of them so they can have my full attention! i love stories – so excited to connect and hear them! love you!

  16. Rachel Pehl says:

    Hey! My name is Rachel and I found you blog shortly after we started our adoption process. My husband and I are adopting two kids from Ethiopia and are currently waiting for a referral! I have LOVED following your blog and LOVE that you want to meet everyone who follows it! Here is my blog address.
    http://breakmyheart-ethiopianadoption.blogspot.com/

    • Wynne Elder says:

      hey rachel! thanks for saying hi – the adoption community is pretty amazing, huh? and 2 kids! girl we are in the same boat! i know that waiting for referral is a hard time so we’ll be praying for yall & can’t wait to hear the good news!!! i read that you are going to be on give1save1! that is amazing! i’m a contributor for that blog too & we were one of the families this time last year- although it’s hard to get everything together, it’s so worth it! hang in there! can’t wait to see your family show up on give1!

    • Rachel Pehl says:

      We watched your video and love it! I just submitted our video so were praying! We only have $10,000 more to go before we are fully funded. We have been told to expect our referral in about a month so the clock is ticking. I can not wait to see how God brings the rest of the money. I LOVE your babies…they are blessed to have you guys…although I am sure you are pretty blessed by them as well!

    • Wynne Elder says:

      oh thank you! that seems like SO LONG AGO that we made that! so cool to see how god used that video & give1 to bring us the funds we needed JUSt when we needed them. i’m trusting that he will do the same for you! it’s amazing to see how he provides! even if it’s at the last minute – the stretching of our faith is worth it in the end. transformation!! will be looking for yalls video!

  17. Hey Wynne, it’s Tara from Man Up! I love following your blog and seeing updates on Camp and Asher. I know this season of your life is amazing and I can’t wait to see what God does.
    Love,
    Tara

    • Wynne Elder says:

      tara!! you are so cute! just love you & love finding YOUR blog! such a god thing that we connected – loved your post about man up weekend, wasn’t that a great time? praying the film does BIG things and more people can catch the vision! love you!

  18. You are one of my favorites to follow, sweet friend! It’s been so fun to watch you through this entire journey… over the moon happy for you, Stephen, Camp and Asher. Thankful to be a bystander in what God has for you and your family… quite the adventure! Happy New Year!!

  19. Hey!

    I’m Jessica from With Love For Africa (www.bringingyoumorethanasong.blogspot.com) .
    I am a music therapist and my husband is a police officer…we are adopting 1-2 children from Ethiopia!
    I’ve really been inspired by your love for Ethiopia and your journey to your children.

    ~Jess

    • Wynne Elder says:

      hey jessica! thanks for saying hi! adoption is beautiful! i saw you’ve been DTE for 2 months! will be praying for yall as you wait for that much anticipated referral email!!!!! it’s oh so worth the wait. and AGCI is great! and i love jesus calling 😉 happy new year!

  20. ThistleAshD says:

    I just recently found your blog and just love the way Christ is so very much a part of all you blog about. I find that so real and so refreshing and much needed. I started out blogging several years ago when my son was born (he’s 3) and then God in his grace redeemed me from just a really bad marriage. My blogging has turned into mostly just me reflecting on who God is and how crazy his love for me is. I think I was first drawn to your title ‘gloriously ruined’ because looking back over my life I can so relate to being gloriously ruined, just through different circumstances. I’m amazed at how God’s plans are so different from our own and yet so beautiful in every way.

    heyjudedylan.blogspot.com

    • Wynne Elder says:

      thank you for saying hi and reaching out!! i have so much respect for single mothers – I just don’t know exactly how you do it all! so so impressive. god does have crazy love for us, it’s hard to fathom sometimes. i love what you said about gloriously ruined! no matter how it happens – it’s amazing!

  21. QueenLos says:

    Hello! 🙂 I have been reading your blog for awhile now and LOVE it I found you because of my crazy adoption and felt connected to you because of our love for Korah. We are moving to ET in June (lord willing) to work in Korah for 1-3 years. Love reading about your life and your sweet little ones 🙂

    • Wynne Elder says:

      hey there! oh how I love momma kiki! that is amazing! yes yes korah!!! your hubby isn’t jason is it? I can’t find your email or blog so I have no idea but would love to know more about your story!!! let me know 😉 wynne.elder@gmail.com

    • QueenLos says:

      Nope my hubby is Carlos! Yes we are going to be working with Ordinary Hero! 🙂 We just started a blog .. http://www.vargascrew.com and we are friends on FB too .. Amanda Vargas is me 🙂

    • Wynne Elder says:

      oh yes girl!!! duh! didn’t know that was your blog name 😉 love it – love the pic at the post office & reading your stories about korah. love OH and what they do too! i didn’t know they were going to have any people on the ground so that is AMAZING!!!! will be praying for yall & hopefully get to meet up next time i’m there (don’t have a plan yet but can’t stay away long!) ;))))))

  22. The Holik's says:

    Hi Wynne! I found your blog through a friend from high school, Shannon Eggemeyer, after you took her maternity pictures. Since then, I can not stop reading your blog and facebook about your adoption story. You have opened my eyes to literally a whole other world out there, of babies that need adopting. I tell my husband about your story, and wish to one day go, or even adopt!! I love your positive spirit, and I pray God will continue to use you and bless you this year!

    • Wynne Elder says:

      hey! that is so amazing! i love how god works – shannon is one of my best friends! i’m so glad you connected the dots & said hi. and i’m thankful that my little blog could open up your eyes to the orphans around the world. keep praying and seeking god in what he wants YOU to do! it’s an amazing journey that i can’t imagine not having gotten the chance to expierence!

  23. Hello hello! I found your blog on Casey’s blog…random, but we have a million mutual friends here in Midland, Allison Zachry one on the top of my head…I just love reading your inspiring words, your Christian perspectives and this crazy world of motherhood. Hope to actually meet you soon!

  24. hello! i have enjoyed following your journey to ethiopia and your babies. my husband and i are adopting a little gilr from Uganda. i feel some similarities to you as we are growing our family first through adoption and will be first-time parents. so i have enjoyed following your transition into motherhood. praising God with you for what He has done and has yet to do!! hannah at alexandersown.wordpress.com

    • Wynne Elder says:

      hey! thanks so much for saying hI! i love your story too! just saw that yall did mercy ships! my good friend shea is leaving for training in 2weeks for that! and i loved your post ab missing africa. i feel the SAME way. ethiopia has a huge piece of my heart. and i only have spent about 4 months total there, but I love it. and miss it and hate that everyday it gets further away. but this season we are in, family, is where god has us now. and i can be missional right where we are! wow. so you know what your daughter looks like?? just waiting for court?!? praying!!!!

    • hi wynee, yes africa has a way of stealing the heart 🙂 we are still wrestling with what missions looks like for us here at home… excited to see what the Lord has in store. oh, and that is so cool that your friend is going to the ship!! do you know what she will be doing on the ship? i must say i’m a tad bit jealous 🙂 she will LOVE it! thanks for praying with us! court can’t come fast enough 🙂 hannah

    • Wynne Elder says:

      ohhh yes it sure does! i saw my friend shea tonight & told her about yall! she is going to be the kindergarden teacher! she’s so excited!!!!!

  25. The Powers says:

    Hello! My husband and I are in the very beginning stages of adopting a baby girl from Ethiopia – working on our homestudy now. I found your blog through another adoption blog and have been so encouraged by your family’s adoption journey, your love for the Lord, and your authenticity & inspiring words! http://www.ugrewinourhearts.blogspot.com

    • Wynne Elder says:

      that is so amazing that yall are in the process! i know the paperchase can seem long and frustrating at times – but be strong! pray hard every day and form a community of other adoptive mommas that you can walk with…that is SO KEY! will be praying for yall! keep us posted! thank you for your sweet words!

  26. ours2love says:

    Hi Wynne, my dear friend Anna sent me the link to your blog, as my husband and I are in the process of adopting our first baby from Uganda! We are currently waiting for our referral and have been told by our agency that we are the next family on the list! I am so grateful for you and your blog, as it was through your blog that I found Give 1 Save 1. I emailed Steph several weeks ago and found out on Monday that she will be featuring our story the week of Jan 7-12!! I can not thank you enough! Without even knowing it your blog helped us move one step closer to brining our baby home! You can follow our journey at ourstolove.com

    AG

    • Wynne Elder says:

      hey! i am so glad you found our blog & got connected with give1save1! it was a god send for us! it also helped me connect with other adoptive moms in the process the same time as me (which is KEY!!!) and I even got to photograph beth (the founder) meeting her son for the first time in ethiopia! so you are on next week! can’t wait for that 😉 love your blog, your shirts & your video. please keep connected! how can we get a shirt? yall selling them??

    • ours2love says:

      Hey Wynne, we are so excited to be on give1save1 next week! Can’t wait to see all that God does next week! We are believing for BIG things. I would love to send you a shirt. We originally gave them out to our first 100 donators. We only have a few left, but email me your address and i’ll be happy to send you one. (aprilwgraham@gmail.com) I’m so excited to share this journey with you and other awesome adoptive families!

    • Wynne Elder says:

      just emailed ya!!! thanks girl!

  27. Hi Wynne! I went to Baylor with both of your sisters and just started following your blog…not sure how I stumbled upon it. It has been such a huge blessing to me. My heart has been turned towards missions for a long time and it is so refreshing to hear yours too. My story changed after Baylor from what I had always thought it would be. God called me to teach inner city kids in Nashville and to make that my mission field for a while. What a blessing that has been. I now live with my hubby in a small town in Kansas and am still loving 17 hispanic 4th graders who desperately need me and my time. God’s plan and my plan for missions were not the same, but I am so glad I can trust him! I love reading your blog and listening to your story of faith. It is not the same as mine (no kiddos in mind quite yet), but I know God led me to it for a reason. My desire to be in control in my marriage, my purpose, and my day to day routine is soooo not God’s best for me and it is encouraging to see others discover how God’s plan blesses them as well, even when it is so hard. Since I was a little girl, I have pictured myself adopting and its so fun to see your families joy in this time all safe and sound!

    • Wynne Elder says:

      hey whitney! wow, what a story you have! thank you so much for sharing it with me! Isn’t it amazing what god can do when we lay down OUR dreams and plans for HIS? they are so much better than ours. i love that you have found your mission field right where you are! it sounds like your job is both teaching and ministry. that is amazing. well thanks for sayin hi ( I love that you are a baylor girl & know my sisters!) and keep sharing your story! when we tell our stories, it only encourages other people to live good stories too! happy new year 😉

  28. taycoff says:

    Hi Wynne! I have been inspired by you since I heard your story in Ethiopia! I have a huge heart for Africa and for adoption as well and I pray that my fiance and I will have many children through adoption. You have also inspired me to shop responsibly so I have been looking around at different fair-trade organizations. On a side note…you should check out my Facebook friend Cheryl Garner Weaver. She is in love with Jesus, interested in adoption, has traveled to Africa, and is an AMAZING photographer. You two are so similar that I have thought you known each other on many occasions.

    Thanks for being such an inspiration!
    -Taylor Coffman

    • Wynne Elder says:

      taylor! so great to hear from you! thank you so much for saying hi. i love how things connect us 🙂 I remember all of our talks about adoption! praying that yall will get to pursue that in your future! and i’m so glad you have started shopping responsibly! that is amazing! it’s really fun isn’t it? thanks for that link on my wall too! way cool. and i friended/sent a message to cheryl! so thanks for that connection! good to hear from you taylor!!

  29. Kara M says:

    Hey, Wynne! As you know, I’ve been reading for awhile. We are adopting from Ethiopia (waiting…#70 on the list!). I work for a local ministry who seeks to meet the physical & spiritual needs of the homeless and poor in our city! I am passionate about mobilizing believers to serve others in God honoring and dignifying ways. I have been passionate about adoption since I was in middle school and excited to be walking out the dream of starting a family! I have no idea what the next year of my life looks like, but God knows. So, I don’t worry about it!! 😀 …oh and I love fashion!

    I met you at the 2011 T4A conference, when I stopped by the Noonday booth. Your blog has been a favorite ever since!

    • Wynne Elder says:

      hey kara! yes I remember meeting you! that was an amazing conference. i’m so glad you have followed along our story! thank you so much! i always try to think of people that are a little behind us in the process when i’m writing- b/c i would have always wanted to get a little glimpse into what was to come. where do you live? your job sounds amazing. love the fashion on your blog 😉 you need some new noonday stuff (hint hint).
      🙂
      will be praying for yall as you WAIT!
      it’s oh so worth it!

  30. Hi Wynne! I am Mallory…been around for a few months or so (gosh I don’t even remember!). Found you from the magic of clicking on other’s blog rolls and ended up here and instantly loved your writing. Adoption was our “Plan A” but God has blessed us with two biological kids (a 2 year old daughter and a baby boy who is coming in March). We heard the call to adoption and now we are just praying for God’s timing. We have made some radical changes in our lives so that we can be ready! Africa is on our hearts in a major way and we are praying about the possibility of living and serving over there at some point. You are an inspiration and I love your heart! Xo.

    • Wynne Elder says:

      hey mallory! thanks for following the story & sharing yours with me! that is amazing that adoption was plan a and now you have sweet eden & a boy on the way! gods timing is perfect that is for sure. can’t wait to see where he takes yall & whats in store. africa as you know has my heart too! it’s an amazing place! so good to know you!

  31. Ashley Gray says:

    Hi Wynne! Came across your blog through “Day Of Knight”- I love reading adoption blogs and anything and everything adoption related! I’m a newlywed, minister’s wife, and an adoption social worker. My husband and I can’t wait to adopt one day (hopefully sooner than later! I tell him I have adoption fever instead of baby fever- lol) I look forward to keeping up with your new adventures.

    Ashley

  32. So sweet!! You are seriously the cutest EVER. Have a super happy first weekend of 2013! Just stopping by from Sugar and Dots to say hello. 🙂 XO

  33. Kiki says:

    I just discovered your blog (via All Glorious Within–loved, loved, loved that waiting post, btw!) and I am beyond in love with your photos, your family, and your story. Adoption has been a long-time wish/dream/hope/prayer of mine for a long time now and I love discovering adoption blogs that only make me want to adopt more! Thank you for sharing your story. I can’t wait to read more of your blog! Happy 2013!

    • Wynne Elder says:

      thank you so much kiki!!! glad you liked that post – it’s something that god has really put on my heart!! adoption is BEAUTIFUL and you should do it. just saying 🙂 there really is an amazing adoption community! thanks for sayin hi!!

  34. Hannah B says:

    I’m so excited to be blog buddies now! I love your heart and your passion for people. I’m Hannah and I’m from Houston. You can find me at hannahbunker.com writing about God’s faithfulness through infertility, coffee, my poodle, craft projects, and sharing my photography. Here’s my about me page to learn a little more: http://hannahbunker.com/about/

    Oh, and I haven’t written about it yet, but my husband and I are starting the adoption process. 🙂 More on that soon!

    Hannah

    • Wynne Elder says:

      hannah! you are so cute! i’ve loved seeing your name pop up on my comments and am excited to follow along your story. you sure do have a gift for writing!! and there are a lot of women who need to to hear the encouragement that you have first hand from your expierence with infertility. i might be emailing you a few questions about using wp for blogging 😉 my photog blog is wp/pro photo and i’m thinking about switching this over! thanks for saying hi!

      ohhh and ADOPTION!!!!!!!!!!!!!! yes more on that please!!!!!

    • Hannah B says:

      Thanks, friend! And feel free to email me any time! I love nerdy blog/website talk. 🙂

      Aaron and I are talking about posting something soon about the adoption. We’ll probably wait until February though because we start an adoption education class at the end of January. We don’t know any details yet about the what, when, who, or how. We’ve just said “YES!” 🙂 And I couldn’t be happier! I know this is where God has us and we are SO excited!

    • Wynne Elder says:

      emailed you!

      that is amazing! saying YES is the best place to start!!!!

  35. Hi Wynne! Pretty sure I came across your blog through Jenn, or some other blog roll I’m sure! I am a wife and mommy of a 10 month old, Asher! Who is also the epitome of that word “happy and blessed”, as I see your little girl is too. I’m a special education teacher, but aspiring to be a stay-at-home mommy (one day! Goad willing!) I have had adoption on my heart since I think before I was even married, and my husband has recently felt God’s call for our family to expand through adoption. We are praying for God’s timing and provisions. In the mean time, we are learning how to advocate for orphans and the people of Africa as best we can in this season of life. I love reading about your family’s adventure. Thanks for sharing.
    http://ratpackfam.blogspot.com/

    • Wynne Elder says:

      hey kacey! thanks so much for saying hi!!! i love that you have an asher! your little man is so cute! i think my asher is 1 of 2 girls named asher, but i love it. always did love boy names for girls 😉 and it was SUCH a god thing b/c she totally embodies her name (as you said, and as your asher does!). isn’t that awesome? well way to go for being a special ed teacher – that is a calling for sure! and i LOVE that your hubby is getting on board w/ adoption. usually it goes that way – woman first, hubby later. my hubby took 3 months of talking about it almost every day before god grabbed his heart!! i LOVE that yall are advocating for orphans and africa NOW. that is amazing. i saw yall had a charity:water campaign! LOVE that!!! thanks for saying hi! look forward to seeing where god leads your family!

  36. Taylor B. says:

    Hi Wynne! I’ve been following your blog for over a year,not sure how I stumbled upon it, but I’ve enjoyed following your journey (and the babies are beautiful!). I live in Tennessee with my husband and our goldendoodle. Thank you for sharing your story!

    • Wynne Elder says:

      look at your cute addison!!! so sweet! we have 2 goldens & our neighbors have a goldendoodle and they are so cute!! our puppies were our “babies” for 4 years! they are amazing amazing companions. thanks for sharing & following along!!

  37. Sommer says:

    Hi…it’s me and I am honored and blessed to be your friend. Wowza Wynne…God is doing big things with that heart of yours
    Press on dear friend! You are a somebody to lots 😉 Love doing life with you!!

    • Wynne Elder says:

      love you som! love that we get to walk this life together in real life every day. you are amazing. you have encouraged and inspired me to be a godly woman, wife, mother and mentor for the past 4+ years! and loved our 3 hour coffee date the other day/ we need to do that more often. you have a heart of gold! love you!!

  38. Megan says:

    Hi Wynne! I can’t remember how I came across your blog to being with, but I’ve been following your sweet story for a while now. My husband and I live in Ohio where he works at our church as a worship pastor, and I work at a very large children’s hospital as a hematology-oncology RN. We’ve been married 5 1/2 years, and we are on the waiting list to adopt our first child (or sibs!) from Uganda. The Lord laid adoption on both of our hearts before we met, but we always thought it would be after we had some bio kids. His plans are different than our’s, and through a painful journey of infertility, we have found so much joy in Christ and His great love and plan for our lives. We’ve started this process of adoption a year ago, and are just playing the waiting game until we get to see our sweet little one’s face! Thank you for the encouragement along the way! PS – I will be at C4C for the first time in Jan. – hope to see you/meet you there!

    • Wynne Elder says:

      meagan!! so glad that you came over to say hi & even more excited I get to meet you IN REAL LIFE soon!! oh please jesus let us run into each other! if you see me (i have brown hair now) please say hi!! that is amazing that your hubby is a worship pastor – listening to some of his jams on itunes now 😉 pretty awesome! I’m so glad that yall are adopting from uganda! what agency are yall using? you are right, gods plans are so much better than our own! we couldn’t ever see what he has for us in the middle of struggle but now that my kids are home i can’t imagine having gotten pregnant when “i” wanted to! glad my story could encourage you!

    • Megan says:

      I will definitely look for you and say hello! Crossing my fingers we will run into each other! I have dark brown hair too, and I’m kind of tall ha ha. Will you be going to Lauren Caspar’s “Plan A” talk? Love her story too! Another blog that has encouraged me so much. Camp and Asher are SO adorable too by the way; hope to see you in a few weeks!

    • Wynne Elder says:

      yes yes yes!! YES! i’m rooming with her 😉 shes my bloggy bff! i’ll see you there then!!!

  39. Sarah Laine says:

    Hi Wynne! Just found your blog a few days ago, and I’ve been loving looking through your story of how you came to adopt your children! I feel the Lord is leading me to adopt someday as well, or to at least serve orphans on the mission field. So excited to see what He’ll do! Praise God for your blessings of Camp and Asher. 🙂

    • Wynne Elder says:

      sarah! that is amazing – i’m glad you found me! and i’m super glad that god has laid adoption/missions on your heart. it’s been the best journey i’ve ever been on and I wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world. SO GLAD i gave up “my plans” for his because they are SO MUCH BETTER!!! can’t wait to see where your story takes you!

  40. Hi Wynne!

    I am a newlywed (of one week!!!!) and an almost graduate of Texas A&M University. I have been captivated by your blog and specifically, reading of your adoption adventure. I was not raised in a Christian home, and had truly did not even associate that Jesus and church were things that “went together” until high school. This may seem unreal being raised in Texas, but it is! (this is now such a reminder to me to try to share the gospel with any and every person I come in contact with, no matter the place!) Because of how I came to know the Lord, scriptures about Christ’s adoption of us have always seemed so real to me… he literally pursued me out of no where, and I desire to one day be able to model that with a child (or children… or LOTS of children!) haha 🙂 Throughout college God has made adoption the thing that gets my blood pumping, and I cannot tell you how many times I have read your posts with tears streaming down my face. Over on my blog you can find my little attempts at photography, the remodel of our first home, and other adventures.

    Nice to Meetcha! 🙂

    • Wynne Elder says:

      hey!! you are SO CUTE! congrats on getting MARRIED!!!! your wedding photos were beautiful and your house! it looks so good w/ all the work yall have put in. it’s really amazing what a little paint and hard work will do huh?

      thank you for sharing your heart – that is amazing that god pursued you and b/c of your story he’s going to use you to reach others! and to share him wherever you go! which we all should do all the time, but your story is different than mine so you have that extra zeal to tell others who i might assume “already know”. amazing encouragement in that!

      i hope that you & your hubby can adopt one day too! it’s pretty much amazing!

  41. Casey says:

    HI Wynne,

    Boy am I glad I found your blog! I found it shortly after we started our adoption journey when I asked someone what Ethiopia adoption blogs they read. It has been a game changer for me. It was where I first heard about Noonday and that night emailed them about being an ambassador. I appreciate you for answering some of my first questions. When we first started the adoption process I can’t really describe it but I felt so lonely because no one I knew was adopting and I didn’t feel like anyone really knew what we were going through. Saying yes to adoption has completely changed my life. I never saw it coming but I am not the same girl I was last year. I am so excited to be going to Ethiopia in about 3 weeks!! I really wanted to try and go before our baby came home so I found a group going and signed up. Keep doing what you are doing….it is so inspiring to me. God has given me many gifts so far on this journey and your blog is one of them!!

    I have a blog but I never actually post anything. Hopefully this will change soon!! makeit4.tumblr.com

    Casey

    • Wynne Elder says:

      hey casey! wow! thank you so much for that encouragement and for telling me that. it’s always nice to be in community and know people who are going through the same thing as you. when we started, I didn’t have any friends who were adopting either but now i have a few real life friends where we live and lots more on this little thing called the www. we were made for community so i’m glad we can encourage and support each other!! that is so amazing you are going on a trip!! we did that too and the feeling we got when we hit the ground the first time was pure GIDDINESS!!! who are you going with?
      love your blog too – spells out why yall are adopting so beautifully. yes blog more!! can’t wait to hear about your trip!

    • Casey says:

      I am going with One child Campaign. I am so excited but I am also getting a little nervous. I am leaving my husband home with our three children for 10 days. I am a stay at home mom so he has never had to care for them for more than 2 night alone. Yikes!! I am hoping to visit the Ethiopian artisans if I can work it out. So you guys went to Ethiopia before you adopted too?

  42. Our journey says:

    So thankful that I found your blog, love watching God’s story unfold though you guys! Can’t wait to meet you soon!
    Steph

  43. Carmen says:

    Hi Wynne!

    My name’s Carmen. I’m a 22 year old traveler, reader, lover of Jesus, coffee drinker,and mama-at-heart. I have no clue how I found your blog, but I read almost all of it in two days (whoops!). I’ve never been to texas, but I think I should probably come sometime because all of my favorite bloggers live there. I graduated from Anderson University (in Indiana) in May with a degree in Education. Lived in Salt Lake city for four months this fall as a nanny, but missed my people too much, so now I’m back in indiana working on my masters in counseling, applying for jobs, dreaming about the day God lets me go back overseas, and trying to find ways to bring the kingdom to my little town. I did the World Race instead of doing my junior year of college, and I think it wrecked me for normal life. I know God has some babies out there for me somewhere, I’m their mama. I don’t know who they are or where they are, but the day I find out will probably be the happiest of my life. Thanks so much for writing so openly and honestly about your story! I have loved seeing the Lord work in your life through your writing.

    Here’s my blog… working on writing more. It’s so hard for me! carmenoswalt.blogspot.com

    Carmen

    • Wynne Elder says:

      carmen! thanks for reading and that’s for sharing your story with me! that is so amazing you did hte world race!!! i wish i had known about that in my younger, singler years. one night i spent hours on the website trying to figure out how i could do it! ha. but i totally get the part about wrecking you for normal life. thats why my blog is called gloriously ruined. b/c i am RUINED for jesus. my plans dreams — all gone. it’s amazing huh?

      and i love what you said about being a momma./ it’s totally normal to feel that way and to start praying for those precious souls that god has for you NOW!
      look forward to seeing what god has for you next!

  44. I am a new follower of your blog. The first time I read it, you had me. I love your story. I have a son, Corban, who is 8 months old. My husband is a pastor and I’m a teacher in a small town outside of San Angelo, Bronte. We will hopefully adopt a baby in the future if God continues to move in our hearts in that direction (it is still a matter of prayer). I’m a new blogger http://www.thecnutthouse.blogspot.com

    • Wynne Elder says:

      hey cheryl!
      we are west texas girls, huh? love it! thank you for following our story!! your son is soooo cute & yalls christmas cards crack me up! how fun 🙂
      adoption…is amazing!!! praying god leads you there!
      and keep up the good blogging work!

  45. Jessica says:

    Hi Wynne,

    I dont remember how I discovered your blog but I am so glad that I did. you have beautiful children and I love reading about your story of adoption. I want to adopt kids some day. specifically I would love to adopt kids who have disabilities since I have a disability myself and that is really on my heart. I know this might not be the place to do this but I wanted to share my testimony really quick and hopefully you will get to know me a little more that way. I cant wait to see what else God has planned for your beautiful family and I am so honored to read how God is changing your family and what exciting new things are happening. Blessings in the New year! oh and I also wanted to say Thank you for commenting and reading my blog the other day. It meant a lot 🙂

    I am supposed to be dead. I am not supposed to be sitting here typing this out. But God had other plans. “For I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord. Plans to prosper and not to harm you. Plans to give you a hope and a future.” (Jeremiah 29:11). The above scripture passage is very real to me and something that I hold onto very dearly. I believe that he has a beautiful plan for my life and I can not wait to see what he has in store for me.
    I was born on a beautiful day in March. As the sun pushed its way to signal another day, I fought for life. I weighed a tender one pound and seven ounces. My parents did not know at the time of my birth that I would have cerebral palsy. They just knew that I should not be out of the womb yet. My twin sister weighed in at one pound and nine ounces.

  46. Jessica says:

    Continued: A few years later, when I was fourteen, I went to youth group one Tuesday night and I felt this emptiness inside me that I knew something was missing. I asked my youth leaders if they could pray for me. I told them that I was rededicating my life to Christ but in all honesty, I was accepting Christ for the first time. After they prayed for me, I felt that amazing sense of peace that only the Lord can provide. I know that my faith was what kept me afloat through all of my high school years. I was not as strong in my faith as I am now. But my faith in God really carried me through the years of high school. I remember there were nights that I could not wait for college. I could not wait to be loved in school and loved what I was learning. Because I did not have a lot of friends in high school, I threw myself into my work and got really good grades in high school. I was obsessed with doing well in school and I pushed myself very hard.
    Now that I am in college, the Lord is growing my faith even more. Last year was a big adjustment to college but with the help of the Lord I pulled through. He taught me a lot about myself and who I am in Christ. This summer, I saw myself as beautiful for the first time. The Lord really revealed to me that I am his and that I am beautiful. He takes great delight in me and loves me as his precious daughter.
    Our relationship is not perfect and will never be but he is revealing things to me that I need to know in this season of my life. I am maturing physically and mentally but more importantly is spiritually. He has revealed one of my spiritual gifts to me. I LOVE to encourage people and make them feel happy. I just love the smile on someone’s face when I compliment them or when I talk to them. It is something that is so simple but I don’t think we do enough of it.

  47. Jessica says:

    Last part: sorry its so long!

    One of the other things that the Lord is opening the doors for is prayer. I have never been a person that likes to pray for people or even pray out loud on my own. But I have started to do both of these things. It has taken some serious courage on my part. But the rewards of encouraging others and seeing the Lord work through me have been more than worth it. I have had the opportunities to pray with friends and family. I can’t wait to see what else the Lord has in his plans for me to do. He did not bring me from the brink of death when I was a week old for nothing. He has a plan for me and I am excited to find out what it is.

    Lord, where you lead, I will follow.

    • Wynne Elder says:

      jessica! sweet friend! thank you so much for sharing your testimony – it is so beautiful! god truly has redeemed your life and he has such a great purpose for you!! i’m so honored to be your friend and get to watch you grow! and you are such a great encourager – I already know that about you! thank you for always encouraging me! you ARE a beautiful daughter of the king! press on sister, you are amazing!!

  48. Meghan says:

    Wynne – I first came across your blog when we were both with Gladney. I enjoy reading it and following along on your journey! My husband and I are waiting on our court date and finally being able to meet our princess in Ethiopia. The waiting is so hard, as I know you know. Keep the posts coming!! http://manasfamilyjourney.blogspot.com — Meghan

    • Wynne Elder says:

      hey! thank you so much for following along, glad that gladney connected us! saw on your blog yall are with IFS now! same story as us 😉 praying you get to meet your little girl soon!!

  49. Ashley says:

    Hey, Wynne, I don’t think I have “de-lurked” til now! I have LOVED reading your blog…your story!! Our stories are similar and I have found much encouragement from you! My husband and I tried to get pregnant for about a year and a half but the whole time, God was beginning to grip our hearts for orphans. We came to a “fork” in the road and had to decide between pursing fertility assistance or beginning the adoption process. We were still in a one bedroom apartment (so couldn’t start the adoption process yet), but I just could NOT find a peace about starting fertility treatments. So we prayed that God would pave the way for us to get started in the adoption process…within a month we bought a house and had enough $$ to at least get started. God has been blowing our minds ever since! Thankfully He has been very patient and gracious with my doubt and fear! It has been almost 3 years since we started trying to get pregnant and we have been “officially waiting” for 5 months! We are number 55 on our agency’s waiting list to adopt a boy (0-3 years) or siblings (0-4 years) from Ethiopia!! My blog is http://www.seeinghisface.wordpress.com.
    Thanks for your transparency!
    Ashley

    • Wynne Elder says:

      ashley! thank you so much for de-lurking! i love that we have a similar story – there aren’t that many of us in our unique spot so I love that you shared that with me. and i am so excited about the road god has yall on & where it’s going! it’s such a beautiful thing!!!! will be praying that you don’t have any FEAR in the unknown or uncertainty but draw closer to jesus in this time! love your story! hang in there girl, the best is yet to come!

  50. Hayley says:

    Hi there! I’m a fellow Baylor Bear, and feel like I know you through mutual friends/experiences. We were also at the Together for Adoption conference in Austin, and felt a connection to your story. We have chosen to pursue fostering/adopting first and then will see where God leads us with possibly trying for bio kids. We’re fostering a 13 month old precious boy right now and are almost to the home-study process in our Ethiopian adoption. I look forward to your posts/updates and your openness with the trials and joys of parenting and adopting.

    I’ve started to blog about our journey. There are just a couple of posts about it. I also provide sarcastic commentary about the Bachelor at the request of friends…although it’s also a turnoff to some people 😉

    http://thesorensonscoops.blogspot.com/

    • Wynne Elder says:

      hey hayley! thanks so much for your comment! i love all these baylor connections!!! and so cool that yall were at T4A! that was such a huge weekend for us, we always talk about it! and that is so amazing that yall are adopting & doing foster care! what a huge heart yall have. and um, the bachelor is my guilty pleasure…the addiction I can’t kick! thanks for sayin hi!!

  51. the abells says:

    Hi! I’m Anna, wife to one amazing Associate pastor man, mom to two amazing kids (3.5y and 18m) and future adoptive mom- just got our application accepted for an ethiopian adoption!! Your posts lately have really encouraged me! Thank you!

    Anna
    http://Www.derrickandanna.blogspot.com

  52. Rachel says:

    Hey! I started following your journey after you were one of the first give1save1 families we gave to. We haven’t been able to give much to any family but what a joy to be able to give something even in the midst of our own adoptions (from Madagascar). Your story encouraged me even before I knew we were going to adopt two instead of one. God has used your story to help me not fear to bring two littles into the house when we currently have none. Read that exciting God story that is unfolding at babyowens.com (esp. “Expecting Two”). Thanks for sharing your faith and joy. Rachel 🙂

    • Wynne Elder says:

      hey rachel! thank you so much for giving to our give1 week!!! it’s so amazing when we are obedient in our giving. madagascar! wow!!! that is amazing – i need to pop on over to your blog 🙂 i’m so glad that our story has encouraged you! no fear!!!! press on!

  53. Whitney says:

    I came across your blog recently and have loved catching up with your adoption story. Adoption is something that God has very much laid on my heart. I don’t know when or if the day will come for me, but I am very much encouraged through your words. I have a passion for children, in general, and am watching God move in my life now in ways I could have never expected. I went to school to be a teacher, but after a difficult year and a subsequent layoff, my plans have changed. I’m not sure exactly what is coming next, but the beauty of seeing God’s hand working has been worth the hard times.

    • Wynne Elder says:

      hey whitney! thank you so much for saying hi. I love that god has laid adoption on your heart as well. listen to that 😉 life is so beautiful (and messy, but a beautiful mess) when “our” plans didn’t work out b/c gods plans are SO MUCH BETTER!! not that we can ever see that in the middle of it, but being on the other side of it now I see it. he is always faithful! thanks for sayin hi!

  54. Hi Wynne! My name is Amelia and we were at Baylor at the same time, but I don’t think we ever met. I live in San Francisco these days. I knew who you were peripherally (maybe through Antioch?) and found your blog through blog-hopping through Baylor people some time ago. I am not married but the Lord gave me a passion for adoption years ago, it is something I hope to pursue someday in my future, and I’ve loved reading and following your adoption story. I love your authenticity. It is a joy to see photos of your beautiful babies and be reminded of our God’s faithfulness!
    Thank you for writing.
    Amelia Thomas

    • Wynne Elder says:

      amelia! crazy baylor connections, I just love em. I LOVE that god put adoption on your heart already. it’s such a crazy ride and I wouldn’t trade it for the world. i feel like jesus has so refined me during this season. can’t wait to see what he has in store for you! thanks for saying hi!!

  55. Breeann says:

    Hi Wynne! I have been following your blog ever since your guest post on Casey’s blog. Your story gripped my heart in such a powerful way…especially since I’m going on four years of no birth control and wanting to be a mom. Your story is so inspiring!! xoxo

    • Wynne Elder says:

      breeann, thank you so much!!! i know it’s so hard to be desperate to be a mom and not have it happen when WE want it too. i’ll be praying for you. i know that hurt so much. gods plan is so much better than ours & his plans are so much better than ours! hold on! your time is coming!!!

  56. Hi, Wynne. I skim read apparently, because I never left a comment. After your post today, I decided to come over and say hi. HELLO! I’m the old one that reads you. I think i found you through the Zachry’s. Alli has always impressed me with her grace, so I think she shared your blog one day on facebook maybe? I honestly can’t remember. I just know you have a wonderful way of grounding me each day and reminding me of what matters in the world. HIM.

    Carry on and keep on blogging!!!!

    • Wynne Elder says:

      oh kristin! I am so glad that this little social media land has connected us! i always love all of your sweet comments. thank you for your kind words & thank you for following along out story! hope we can meet in real life one day soon!!

  57. Hillary says:

    Hi Wynne! My name is Hillary and I (sort of) blog over at keepingupwiththekrantzs.blogspot.com. I’m have been married to my hottie-of-a-husband, Dustin, for 3.5 years but we’ve been together since we were sixteen. We have known since before we were married that adoption would be a part of our story, but we are still in the early stages of even picking an agency and county. In the mean time, we are walking the brutal path of infertility. It has been so awesome to see God piece together your cute little family in his perfect timing. I’m so thankful women like you blog about your journey as you set an incredible example of hope and reliance on God.

    Thanks for the invitation to introduce myself!

    • Wynne Elder says:

      hillary, thanks for saying hi! and thanks for following. it’s exciting to be at the beginning stages of adoption! will be praying for yall as you seek god for what is next! infertility is tough, but god has a perfect plan for your family! just like he pieced my family together so perfectly – he will do the same for you! press on! i’m so glad you said hi!

  58. Hi Wynne! I imagine I found your blog through a Baylor connection. I’ve loved reading about your adoption and my husband knows Camp + Asher by name as we always check out your instagram photos. I have an Ethiopian nephew, Nate, who changed my life when he came home to our family 4 years ago. He now lives in Ethiopia again as my brother and sister in law are missionaries in Soddo with Soddo Christian Hospital.
    I have always loved adoption as I was adopted at birth. It’s become part of my calling as I now work with http://www.HeroicMedia.org to use media to reach women facing unexpected pregnancies with hopeful alternatives to abortion.
    I blog at marshagarbage.wordpress.com
    We hope to adopt someday but for now I am 11 weeks pregnant and going on 5 months of marriage.
    Thanks for your candid and heartfelt blogging!

    • Wynne Elder says:

      i love baylor connections!!! thank you so much for following along. that is amazing you have a nephew from ethiopia – i think it’s safe to say my sisters would say the same thing about c+a changing their lives. oh wow! that is amazing they are missionaries!!! and that you were adopted! you have quite the story my friend. congrats on your pregnancy & what you do and what your passion is is truly amazing & much needed! press on!!

  59. Hello Wynne!
    We have met once before online but it was a long time ago, so I thought I should reintroduce myself and admit to silently stalking your blog. You once posted a question on the Lubbock Photographers Facebook group, and I answered. Someone mentioned your blog and I checked it out. I remember it was July of 2011 because the night before my husband and I had decided to start to seriously pray about adoption. Finding this blog has been such an encouragement! So I have be blog stalking you for quite a while! So I thought I should say Hi and ask if it would be ok to contact you with a few questions, I know how busy it is being a Mom of 2 lil ones, so please say no if you are currently swamped. I think we just need more direction in this adoption process. Choosing and agency alone is daunting! Thank you for your honest accounts and encouragement to others, you are a blessing!

  60. Marlo says:

    Hi Wynne – I too have been a silent blog follower for a while. Your strength & faith is so encouraging. I have been struggling with infertility for a year & will soon be starting my first cycle of IVF. This process often feel very lonely especially when you don’t know anyone who has gone down this path so reading your blog & searching for others who may understand brings some comfort. Thanks for sharing your story!

    • Wynne Elder says:

      well thanks for not being a silent follower anymore 😉 thank you so much for saying hi. none of us are alone and that is why I write – so others know THEY aren’t alone! we have each other & we have our stories. good luck with IVF! thanks for saying hi!!

  61. Hi Wynne!

    I’m tania! I grew up in West Texas now im attending school out here and oh my! applying to baylor med! i found your blog after looking for a midland area photographer, only to find out you were on maternity leave by the time I needed the photos. I’ve been following your story since February of 2012. Came at just the right time because I took my very first trip to Africa in June! Your post on Africa travel totally helped my packing. Fell in love and now, looking into adoption. I love your blog and that you are so open to telling your story. I look forward to keeping up with your campaign this year. Camp + Asher are beautiful! I always look forward to IG updates of the two of them. Thanks for telling your adoption story, it has helped me understand the struggles and waiting that could very well lie before me and my family. I won’t be starting the process until 2014 if then, with medical school coming up I’m really praying God will show me his perfect timing in all of this! Prayers would be so appreciated. Anyway, I’m tania and hopefully that’s a good introduction 🙂
    Praying for the elder family always.
    God Speed!!!

    • Wynne Elder says:

      tania!!!
      wow! that is truly amazing & people like you are WHY i write!! so others will see a need, be a part of a story, and feel gods tug on their heart to do the same! sorry I couldn’t help you out with photography stuff when you needed it 🙁 but for good reasons! thank you so much for following our story and praying for us. I can’t wait to see what road you are soon headed for!!!

  62. Sara says:

    Hi Wynne. I’m from San Angelo and actually played high school golf with Stephen at Central. Goooo Bobcats! (Although, I believe it was only for a year because I was a few years behind him). I found your blog through one of his various Facebook posts a while back. Social media makes everyone sound so creepy! Anyways, I absolutely love reading your blog. It really made me stop and evaluate my life and how I can impact someone else’s through even the smallest changes. My sister visited St. Joseph’s Home for Children in Capetown South Africa this summer and fell in love with the children. What amazed me most from her stories, was how these kids, despite such hardship and loss, maintained such strong faith in God and humanity. Now, we hope to eventually do a mission trip together with Visiting Orphans. I also love shopping responsibly (Noonday Collection is amazing) and hate that I have been completely oblivious to it for years! Anyways, just saying hey and thank you for sharing your story!

    • Wynne Elder says:

      hey sara! what a small world that you played golf with stephen!! crazy! oh social media….haha 😉 glad you found me!!! and you are so right about what you sister told you about the kids she met – they have faith and HOPE! it’s a true testament and inspiration to me everyday!! you totally should do a VO trip!!! i’ll let you know when I know when I’m going next 🙂 and yay for noonday!!! i hear ya about being oblivious, but now that we know! thanks for sayin hi!!!

  63. Kat Angus says:

    Hi Wynne!

    I am Kat. I found your blog linked through someone, but I’m not sure who. Possibly the Wiegands?

    Anyhoo, I’m not adopting or anything, but I love your wee family and was so touched by your story and your visits to Ethiopia.

    I am from New Zealand but now live in Scotland with my lovely man, and can’t wait to have kids. I know that adoption could be in our future, but we’d like to try for our own first. You’ve given so much love to those babies and I love following your posts and Instagram.

    I am Jewish, so have a strong faith in God as well, even if we don’t have Jesus in common.

    Sending internet love. I’m over at http://katinedinburgh.com.

    xx
    K

    • Wynne Elder says:

      hey kat! thanks for saying hi!!!

      you have such an awesome story – what an adventure!!! kids (biological or adopted) are such a gift from god! know that it will happen all in gods perfect timing!!!! thanks for saying hi!

  64. Hi Wynne,

    My name is Kit and I found your blog through our Melissa Mathis. I love reading about your beautiful family, and am interested in adoption. I live in Chicago, and I have my own blog about cooking.

    All the best to you and your family!

    Kit Graham
    http://www.thekittchen.com

    • Wynne Elder says:

      hey kit!

      how cute are you! love your blog! wish I was a better cook….hah. i love the small world connections! melissa and I have been friends literally forever. love that adoption is on your heart!!!!!! thanks for following along!

  65. abi says:

    Hi! I have had this blog post bookmarked so I would remember to come back and say hi – sorry its taken so long! My name is Abigail or Abi and I have been reading your blog for a while. We are trying to adopt domestically…one of these days. Our life keeps changing with a move back and forth from Germany, husband being laid off – still looking for a job. So we have had to halt the process while we get settled again. Just praying for patience in the midst of things and strength. We are back in the states now, in NC.

    • Wynne Elder says:

      hey abi! thanks so much for saying hi!!! germany! wow!!! will be praying as yall seek god for the time to adopt!! that is super exciting. thanks for following along!!

  66. Oh, I just ADORE your blog 🙂 It’s so lovely!!
    Well, my name is Elisa and I’m married to the most handsome, Moroccan man in the world!! Hahahaaha!! We have no children yet, but plan on starting a little family through the blessing of adoption SOON, God willing. We hope to adopt from Morocco, but if that doesn’t work out we are going to look into Ethiopia. My husband says he wants to bring home a child from his continent! LoL
    Let’s see. . .we have a cocker spaniel puppy named Boo Boo Bear Jr. and two kitties (brother & sister) named Brizbo & Olivia. I’m currently a housewife and LOVING it!!! My passion is God and Islam while showing others it’s a very LOVEABLE faith with extreme close ties to Christianity and Judaism (they’re all Abrahimic faiths)!! By the way, I was acutally born and raised Christian and converted to Islam before meeting my husband 4 years ago. . .we’ve been married 3 years now!!!!

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