Front Row Seats...

I am one lucky girl (in millions of ways) but most recently, I got to spend this past weekend with my best college girlfriends.  We have not spent this kind of time together in years.  I didn't realize how much I needed this trip,

until I got home. 

 

Our time spent together was invaluable: until the wee hours of the morning we reminisced, talked about the very best days of our lives together, laughed until our stomachs hurt and updated one another on current life happenings, including all things adoption. 

 

In these conversations, I was able to learn so much about the pieces of adoption my friends understood, and the pieces they were so hungry to learn about. 

 

The creation of this blog is meant to do just that~ update friends/family on the status of our adoption and also to educate everyone on the difficult pieces to talk about. 

 

Sometimes we take for granted the facets of adoption people are unfamiliar with.  Since we have been running in adoption circles for quite some time and have researched international adoption for years, we have learned a great deal.  We are hoping this platform is a helpful way to keep everyone informed.

 

So here it goes...

 

Did you know?

 

• We will be adopting a child with special needs.  We are unsure of what this need will be, but all children in the program we are adopting through have some sort of need that vary (cleft lip, heart defect, missing limb, blood disorders, developmental delays...)

 

• China has an estimated one million orphans.

 

 

• Today, almost all of China's orphan children have disabilities. Dozens of new cases of abandoned children are reported each day.

 

• The number of disabled orphans has grown by 30,000 to 50,000 every year.

 

• Children age out of orphanages at 14 years old. Most end up on the street, especially if they have a visible special need. Some get to stay in foster families or are able to get jobs, but there are cultural stigmas to being an orphan which can make life very difficult.

 

 

These truths about China adoption have brought up more conversation, words that have been all too familiar after becoming adoptive parents six years ago. 

 

I could never do that...

 

I could never adopt....

 

I could never be in an open adoption...

 

I could never adopt a child with special needs...

 

 

Sometimes, we have to dig deep to address these statements.  Other times, its quite easy to respond (we have had a lot of practice). 

 

So here's the thing...

 

We never thought we could either. 
We likely would have never chosen this path unless we were faced with the loss and suffering after losing our two children. 
We firmly believe that God has led us here.  We are following HIS plan for our family.  Every time we say "no", we hear him say "yes."  Each time we are faced with an obstacle to complete this adoption (space, finances, strength...)

HE has provided. 

 

Adoption lives strong in our hearts.

Although choosing the road more frequently traveled, life would be easier...safer...it certainly would not be as fulfilling. We are committed to doing our part to create
ONE. LESS. ORPHAN. 

We have learned that if we did not open our minds and hearts six years ago, we would not be sharing this beautiful life with our son (and his birth family). 
This was our path, our road, and we feel so lucky to be walking on it.

 

It's all about a simple shift in perspective. As a fellow adoptee has put so eloquently,

 

"We bought front row seats to watch Him show Himself mighty.  And though we may be weary from the journey we've said yes to, we stand gratefully in awe."

 

With your support and prayers, we can do this.

 

 

 



 



 

 

 

 



 

 

Oh The Paperwork....

This paperwork is no joke.  We are up to our eyeballs in paperwork.  We need verification from everyone under the sun, including our vet, to confirm that we are, in fact, good parents (thanks, Dr. Whittle!).  Thank you to all that have contributed to the paper trail: friends, family, teachers, neighbors. doctors, and priests- your beautiful letters have helped remind us why God called us to do this in the first place. 

The paperwork alone takes a village! 

 

 

 

We need vaccines, physicals, safety plans, fingerprints, financial proofing, home inspections, fire drills, water tests....and more.  Add these tasks to our professional life, Eric's travel schedule, and taking care of our two children- we are feeling a bit overwhelmed at the moment. So, if we have been "out of touch" these past few weeks, please know we have not forgotten about you- we are just trying to put one foot in front of the other to get the paperwork behind us (although we hear this is just the start...)

 

 We are still considered to be in the "home study" stage of the adoption process.  Similar to our adoption with Colin in 2009, DCFS needs to inspect and approve all aspects of our life.  This includes in person home inspections and in person interviews with our case worker. 

 

So what's next? 

While finishing up our home study, we are concurrently working on our Dossier to China.  This should be completed within the next month and sent to the Chinese Consulate for approval.  From there, we will work on Immigration Approval, which takes about 3-5 months.  After all of that is complete (papers, papers and more papers) we will be matched with a child :)  We are praying for a match by October/November and hoping for travel sometime close to the new year. 

 

Please continue to keep our family in your daily prayers.  Pray for our sweet baby, who we know is already born and waiting for a family just like ours.  Pray he/she is being taken care of and nurtured and that he/she will find their way home soon. 

Thank you for your continued love and support- it has not gone unnoticed!

 

And....Happy Chinese New Year- the year of the monkey. 

Here are my two monkeys sharing Chinese candy to celebrate with their classmates.