The beginning (and an update on my mom)

We are thrilled to share with everyone what has been going on with us--mainly that we are working on adopting again!

So, what are we doing? Why are we doing it? When did this happen?! Here’s a little insight into how we came to pursue the adoption of our 4th child.

Back in 2001, when Landon was born, Mark and I were certain we were meant to be parents of two adorable (and personality-filled) sons. They came to us the “easy” way, that is by birth, unless you are the one giving birth. But it was worth it and we were completely satisfied and overwhelmed with our newborn Landon and 2 year old Jake.

But a few years later, I started feeling like we were wrong. And I hear people say this all the time and before it happened to me I might have been skeptical. But the truth is, God put a little girl from China on my heart. And thankfully he later put the same thing on Mark’s heart. And now we have Lilla home with us. Her story is here.

If I am being completely truthful, which happens from time to time, I felt that we would have another child from China. And I thought this the whole time we were in China with Lilla. And a few months later, I told Mark about this thought. He did not concur. We love our children but sometimes 3 kids gets kind of messy and loud. And whiny. And time consuming. And did I mention messy?

So I tried to just enjoy the ones I was with, but every few months we would talk about adopting again. Mostly I would talk really. But over time, we started talking more about “when” instead of “if.” And the wait for China got longer and longer. And then Lilla started asking when were going back to China for a baby sister. She started praying about a baby and pretending her toys were sisters. Adopting again kind of became inevitable.

Because of the long wait, and meeting people both in person and online who had adopted a child through the Waiting Child program, I started to research adopting a child with a medical need. I looked back in an old journal the other day and in October 2005 I had written “SN? What issues?” meaning, was a special needs adoption in our future. I guess God had already planted that seed, forgotten by me but he was watering it.

And what had once seemed so scary with our other 3 kids (Will there be anything wrong with them? What if something is wrong with them?!) now seemed like it was meant to be a part of our life, something we not only could do but were called to do. A few verses kept coming to my mind:

“…For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11

Trust in the LORD with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;

in all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make your paths straight Proverbs 3:5-6

It just reminded me that God has a plan for us and our children, and it is not my problem to have everything figured out and tied up neatly with a bow.

So thankfully my wonderful husband was also open to adopting a child with a medical need and so we did a little more research and talked a little more and found an agency we liked. And we did a little more research and submitted an application and a checklist with the needs we felt comfortable considering for our family. On Friday, September 19, we were accepted by FTIA.

And thus concludes (and starts, I guess) an amazing journey.

The timeline is not too predictable based on several variables, but we expect to be in China sometime in 2009!

Please pray for our little girl, who has probably already been born!

I also hope to have brief updates on my mom on here, who was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 1990, and is now in year 7 of living with metastatic breast cancer. She’s an 18 year survivor! As of now, her most recent scan looks good and shows improvement, so she will continue with the chemo she is on. Praise God for that and keep on praying.

Wait for the LORD;
be strong and take heart
and wait for the LORD. Psalm 27:14