A Conversation With "J"

A couple of weeks ago, I had to do a service call at a school district in Skokie, Illinois. I've done a bunch of work there in the past, but it had been some time since I'd been there. I knew I wanted to get a chance to talk to a woman who works for the district (I'll call her "J") who has 2 biological sons and adopted a little girl from China about 4 or 5 years ago. On a break, I got the opportunity to make my way over to her office, and she was able to sit down with me for awhile. When I shared with her our great news about Raina, she was so filled with joy for us. "J" gave me some very practical advice about the wait - it was so encouraging to talk to someone who has been there. I was even able to see pictures of her daughter - she is absolutely beautiful! "J" took the time to show she really cares about our journey, which is something that means a lot to me.

Thanks "J" ....... One day our family will look very much like yours. Cool, huh?

Winds Of Change

We received word yesterday that our social worker (who we've been working with since the beginning of our adoption process) is leaving our adoption agency. We are assuming that we will soon be notified of a replacement SW to take over our case. We are so thankful that God, in His perfect timing, saw to it that our dossier made it to China and was logged in prior to this change taking place. Looking forward to this next chapter of waiting, only with a new partner.

LID - A Date To Remember

This is the date we will remember. This is the date that China knows who we are. This is the date that makes her "real". That's right - we have our long awaited Log-In-Date! We received word today that we were logged-in to China's adoption system on September 4, 2007. This date signifies so much. It is basically our "starting point". From this point on, we will endure the process knowing that we have a place in the waiting line - the very long waiting line. Looking back to what it took to accomplish this feat is quite rewarding, really. Knowing that nine months of preparation has finally paid off with "LID 9-4-2007" is just enough for right now. Yet our joy at the news of our LID is tempered by reality. We do not know what the next few years will bring. We know that we will face plenty of heartache, plenty of frustration. Some days we think we can wait forever. Some days we think we can't possibly wait as long as it's going to take. But someday Raina will be here. We may probably never be able to express in words how this process has changed us. For now, our LID is just a date to remember - a date to mark on the calender. But this date means so much more. "9-4-2007" means that one day a little girl will be born. A little girl whose parents may not be able to care for her. A little girl who will be painfully abandoned and left alone. A little girl who will long for arms to hold her, for a family that will never let her go. A little girl with black hair and a beautiful smile. A little girl named Raina.

September 4, 2007. Yes. A date to remember, forever.

DOSSIER TO CHINA!!!

Oh My Gosh!!! I can hardly believe this! We just opened our mailbox today to find an envelope from Bethany Grand Rapids. Opening the envelope and expecting nothing but another bill for the latest fees, we were stunned to read the following words: "Your dossier was sent to China on August 29, 2007". I cannot begin to describe the overwhelming joy that went through me and Laura upon receiving this news. This tiny step may mean little-to-nothing to anyone else, but the DTC is incredibly important to us. It means that hopefully within a few weeks, we will have the pinnacle date to this point in our process - wait, can it actually be, yes, it is - our Log-In-Date (LID)! Having begun our official adoption application process with Bethany in January, this little bit of good news has been an extremely long time in coming, and it lets us know that we have not been forgotten on this long road to Raina. We are simply bursting! We want to send a huge "Thank You" to all who have shown such interest and supported us in prayer and friendship up to now. We don't pretend that the waiting will get any easier - in fact, we know that with a projected 2 to 3 years until referral, each month that passes by will become all the more excruciating. Still, this small "next step" means just about the whole world to us right now, and we intend to enjoy the glorious feeling of knowing that we are finally DTC!!! Yeeaaahhhh!

Another Man's Treasure

I was working at a high-rise condo building downtown this week, and I came across something in the trash. It was laying on top of a small dumpster with a bunch of empty boxes piled on it. When I pulled it out of the pile, this is what I found. Can you believe that this painting was thrown out by someone? Neither could I. I asked the building maintenance people if they wanted it, and they said "Go ahead, take it." I brought it home, showed it to Laura, and it matches our family room colors exact. It's as if the artist painted it for us. We still have to find the perfect spot for it, but I guess one man's trash is...

How Long Is Too Long?

When you have an upcoming vacation, you anticipate the coming days with excitement. Even the waiting can seem enjoyable, because you have something to look forward to. But who plans a vacation 3+ years ahead of time? When your target is that far away, sometimes it seems that it would be better to simply put it out of your mind - the waiting may just drive you mad. My friends, this is our journey to Raina. We read about China, we study about China, we talk with others who are waiting to go to China, just like us - we never want to put our daughter out of our minds. Yet our lives go on and on right here like they always do. We are just entering the hardest part. Sometimes the waiting hits us - "Man, how are we supposed to do this?"

High School Musical 2

Yeah, I know I'll get a lot of raised eyebrows on this one, but our family has been nuts for High School Musical 2. It seems a little crazy that we enjoy the HSM world as much as we do, but honestly, we can't get enough of it. Reminds me so much of my youth with Grease. The films really are fun and the music and dancing are totally worth checking out. Don't knock it - you might love it too.