Adoption Update

Whew have I been busy! 

Sydney and I have zig zagged across the state to get our dossier documents together.  This included a trip to Jeff City (2 1/2 hours away) to gather certified birth and marriage certificates.  A trip to Farmington (1 hour away) to get new medical forms signed to replace the first ones where the dr put my weight in the height column and vice versa.  I then emailed it all to WACAP for pre-approval.  Next, a trip to Greenville (1 hour away) to get a new marriage certificate, because apparently the one from Jeff City wasn't good enough.  Next, back to Jeff City for state certification of all documents.  And lastly, another trip to the nearest UPS store (1 hour away) to send them all to Chicago for authentication at the Chinese Consulate.  They should be sent back to me on Tuesday.  Then it is off to WACAP with them to mark the end of our paperchase!!!! 

Well, we still have that one little detail of a $1750 fee.  We began this adoption with $0 in the bank to pay for it and God is providing every step of the way.  I am resting in him for this fee and he has already provided $525 of it.  I know he will provide the rest of it in his perfect time.  My perfect time will be by Tuesday, when I get my docs back.  But I will wait for his time.  Other than that, we have received confirmation from USCIS that they received our application & money and they will be sending us an appointment anyday.  As soon as our appointment comes, we are pretty much done. 

I do better with my busyness, because I feel like I am making progress daily.  The waiting for others, like the CC*A, is more stressful for me.  But I know that God is ultimately in control of the time and he will arrange everything to fall into place in perfect order.  He always has, he always will.  I also have some really cool confirmations from God to share when I have another minute, but right now I have got to go catch Sydney.

Where' s Sydney?

I bet I say those two words twenty times each day.  Our little busy baby is always into something.  As a general rule:  if we can hear her, she's fine;  if she's quiet, you better start hunting her.  She is such a curious child and loves to get into everything in the house, causing mommy to run for the hair dye explore.  Case in point, we were getting ready for bed the other night, and I realized a certain quietness.  "Where's Sydney?"  We didn't see her but did see the couch cushions were all off the couch again and all unzipped again (hair dye).

However, upon closer inspection, I found this:

Sound asleep inside the couch cushion. ~sigh~

And just so you don't think that my other two girls are innocent bystanders:

Ashlyn walked in with this very innocent look on her face.

Where's Sydney?

They are nuts!

Fruits of our Labor

Since it is Labor Day, I thought I would share with you some fruits of our company's labor.  We own a construction company that does mainly recreational construction for parks or schools.  Most of our jobs are far from local, from Virginia Beach to Montana.  However, our itty bitty school was able to get a grant to make some much needed building improvements and install a new playground!!  Wayne had to drop by to check out some things, so we thought we would check out a few things too! 

Sydney sometimes is hesitant to play in new situations.  I think she either is afraid, she doesn't know what to do, or she is overwhelmed with the whole thing.  So, at times, Mom and Dad have to make a total fool out of themselves show her that it is safe and fun.

And I have the knot on my head and the skinned up elbow to prove it!

Happy Birthday, Sweet Girl

(Thank you MM for the pic)

Today is your 13th birthday. 

In America, you would be thrilled that you are finally a teenager.  You would be thinking of how much older 13 sounds than 12.  12 year olds are children, but at 13 you are a TEENAGER! 

Is that how you feel today? 

Or is this birthday bitttersweet? 

This is your last birthday before you age out of the orphanage.  Are you wondering if someone is coming for you?  Are you thinking about all the others who have turned 13, then at 14 left, not to be seen again? 

Will you get any presents at all? 

The only gift I can give you this year is this:  WE ARE COMNG FOR YOU. 

We will not leave you as an orphan.  We will not let you age out and live as an adult at 14.  We will come for you and take you into our family to heal, to reclaim your childhood, to love, to protect, to provide for, to comfort, to become our daughter.  

We promise. 

Home Study - Check!

I just received a blessed emailed stating:

Your Home Study is complete!

One step closer.....

Only God

Isn't God amazing?

He is so personal.
 

He is so precise.
 

He is so intimate. 

What He is to me, is different than what He is to you, but He's also the same. 

He leads each of us on our little journey through life knowing exactly what we need and where we are going next.
 

I remember when we felt the tug to adopt Sydney.  We waded through the mounds of paperwork.  Then when we saw her face I was amazed that this adorable creature had been in existance for over a year, and yet I knew nothing of it. 

She instantly became very precious to me, yet the week before I did not even know she existed.

 For. Over. A. Year.
 

That feeling has been very present with me again. 

Yes, again. 

Only more so.

For almost 13 years, a very precious girl has been in existance.

On the other side of the world.

Only I didn't know it yet.

And she is now so very, very, precious to me.

Yes, she is my daughter.

I hope to see her by summer.

So precious.

So amazing.

So precise.

So God.