The Journey...from the beginning

How exciting it has been to see and hear the responses from dear friends already! Thank you for walking beside us in this journey! It's a beautiful Saturday and when I looked around this morning, I realized just how very blessed we already are in our lives. I woke up to a husband who arrived safely home from work. Our dear daughter is home from college this weekend to visit and to work at her wonderful job. Our son is on another exciting band trip today representing his school and enjoying his friends and band staff. It's a busy, busy day with laundry to fold, a house to clean and food to prepare for our family cookout tonight. It just can't get much better than this! Then I am reminded that in the middle of our daily routines, we are one day closer to our sweet little daughter in China and we have friends and family who are loving, praying and encouraging us through this special time in our lives. Wow! We are so thankful for such a normal and yet special time in our lives.

Some have asked how this journey began. Well, to put it quite simply...it began a very long time ago. I came from a family of seven and Tim came from a family of five. When we began dating, we discussed how very important family is to us and how we both wanted several children. So several years later, we welcomed our precious daughter, Rachel, into our lives. What a sweetheart! Three years later, here came our adorable Micah! We knew we were blessed so richly. Yet our hearts always longed for more children. Even our children wanted more children! We both had witnessed the joy of adoption in the lives of family and friends. Eventually we realized that this miracle of adoption would be a part of our lives, as well. So in July of 2006, we turned in our application to the adoption agency. We were later given the "go ahead" and the process began.

The details of our "Paper Trail" were overwhelming, but once again we were so blessed. Our adoption agency family has been incredible. Our friends, physicians, family, Church family, co-workers, school friends, various office workers we dealt with and other adoptive parents have been incredible! The willingness of everyone to encourage and assist in so many ways has made this journey so much more enjoyable. Even when we share that we will be "updating" paperwork in the future, their reactions are so kind and willing to help in any way they can! On March 23, 2007 our Dossier, (that's the collection of all the necessary information and paperwork re: our lives, family, home, etc.), was sent to the People's Republic of China! On April 13, 2007 we were officially "Logged In" to China's system of Adoption Affairs. What a great day! This "LID" (Log-In-Date) is pretty much our "waiting ticket" for our future steps to our little daughter. Right now, the Referrals are being placed with families from late November of '05. So we have quite a wait ahead of us. But as dear friends who recently adopted have told us, it all makes sense when we finally hold our new daughter in our arms. For God's master design is always best!

For now, we have parenting classes ahead, updating paperwork, and....yes, getting a nursery put together once again!! Yay!!!! And with a daughter in college and a son in high school, we're definitely going to remain busy! We often hear how difficult it must be to wait for the time to hold our little one in our arms. We'll agree. It's already very difficult. We already love her so very much. But we firmly believe that the same God who brought Rachel and Micah into our lives at just the right time will bring our little one into our arms in His perfect time and plan. Perhaps she is already born. Perhaps she is yet to be born. Wherever she is, we know she is in His care and He will bring us together at just the right time. Until that moment, we will love her, prepare for her, pray for her and thank God for every step in our journey that takes us closer to her.

Thank you for your continued prayers, encouragement, concern and friendship. What a difference it makes to know we are not walking this road alone. We truly appreciate every precious person God has placed in our lives during this time. We thank Him for you..true blessings in our journey! Until next time...
Terri and Family