It has been an exciting and busy weekend but I could hardly wait to write on our blogsite today! The journey continues for our family in many ways and we always look forward to sharing it with friends and family!
First, congratulations to our son on the very impressive Marching Band State Finals Competition. The band won 4th place in their Class and we are so proud of all of the students, staff and parents involved! We are very proud of you, son...especially since you made it through with that knee injury! You did a wonderful job!
Also, our daughter was home to work this weekend and it's always good to have her home! Both she and our son have achieved great midterm grades so we are very thrilled for them. This journey of blessings constantly reminds us of just how much we have to be thankful for in our lives! Our daughter and son are certainly major blessings whom we thank God for each day!
Ok...the next part is news we've been very eager to share with you! We have named our little Sweetie, (or Sweeties if we are blessed with twins) and would love to ask you to continue to keep her/them in your hearts and prayers...and now with specific names in mind!
Our first little daughter from China will be named Jenna Elizabeth. Jenna will be named after my precious Grandma Jenny. Elizabeth is also a family name. It is a Grandmother's name on my Mom's side and it is also the name of my Dad's Aunt. By suggestion of our oldest daughter, Jenna Elizabeth will be affectionately called "JennaBeth." Jenna will also keep part of her original Chinese name as an additional middle name.
If we are given another daughter who would be Jenna's twin sister, her name will be Emma Katherine. Emma will be named after Tim's sweet Grandma Emma. Katherine is also a family name on both Tim's Mom and Dad's sides. Amazingly, he has two Aunts named Katherine. By suggestion of our son, Emma Katherine will be affectionately called "EmmaKate." Emma will also keep part of her original Chinese name as an additional middle name.
So, there you have it. Please continue to pray for JennaBeth as well as the possibility of EmmaKate and the journey to our family. It is such a blessing to know that not only will our daughter/s be given names that represent family members...but we can now pray by specific reference. We also hope and pray that our Grandma Jenny, Grandma Emma and other name-sake relatives will somehow know that we have selected names in their honor and memory!
Thank you for your continued presence in our Journey of Blessings. There are no words to describe how much it means to us to know that you care and you are praying. May we all continue to realize the blessings we are given with each breath of life!
Counting our blessings....
Terri and family
Jenna Elizabeth (aka "JennaBeth") Song Lorenz
Waiting For Our Little One To Come Home From China!
Sunday, October 21, 2007
Friday, October 19, 2007
Six Months Closer!
The wait continues...and is exciting...but sometimes challenging. A friend reminded us recently that God's timing is always right and it was a perfect day to hear those words! Although we "know" it, it's just sometimes a bit hard to love our little girl so very much...yet never know when we'll actually see her. But the encouragement and kindness of our friends are TRUE BLESSINGS to "hear" during this journey. So we are very thankful for those of you who do ask how it's going...and who remind us that each day is a step closer to her. This process has sometimes been called "Paper Pregnancy" and it's very true! It's already the longest and most difficult pregnancy we've known so far! Our journey has been "official" for fifteen months (since application) and our "Log In Date" was issued over six months ago. SIX MONTHS have already passed and we're that much closer to our baby girl! How exciting! Now that's a blessing!
Right now, the time frame from "Log-In" to "Referral" is around twenty-three months...with another one or two months of waiting before going to China. That time-frame does fluctuate so it's not definite. We trust that God's timing will be perfect! We really believe that He has a plan and He knows what is best for our little girl. But we just want to thank you for caring, asking, praying, encouraging and sharing this journey with us! Hearing your joy, your interest and your excitement somehow keeps her even more connected to us! Thank you! Your love and prayers for this little girl are such tender blessings! We thank God for each of you as you walk beside us!
Before long, we will post the names we have selected for our little Sweetie! Actually, we are even approved for twins, if they are available! Of course, twins are rare in China, but if God so chooses to bless us with twin daughters, we would be THRILLED! Yet one precious baby will certainly be an amazing and incredible gift, as well!! (Actually, we would love to bring an entire plane load of children home with us...but that's not the way it works!) So, in the very near future, we will share the names of our little Sweetie (or Sweeties) with you. I can hardly wait to share them. For not only will that bring the reality of our daughter even closer, but we can pray more specifically for her. Be watching!
May your journey in life continue to be blessed as richly as you have blessed our journey! You are all so dear to us. Blessings to all of you!
Right now, the time frame from "Log-In" to "Referral" is around twenty-three months...with another one or two months of waiting before going to China. That time-frame does fluctuate so it's not definite. We trust that God's timing will be perfect! We really believe that He has a plan and He knows what is best for our little girl. But we just want to thank you for caring, asking, praying, encouraging and sharing this journey with us! Hearing your joy, your interest and your excitement somehow keeps her even more connected to us! Thank you! Your love and prayers for this little girl are such tender blessings! We thank God for each of you as you walk beside us!
Before long, we will post the names we have selected for our little Sweetie! Actually, we are even approved for twins, if they are available! Of course, twins are rare in China, but if God so chooses to bless us with twin daughters, we would be THRILLED! Yet one precious baby will certainly be an amazing and incredible gift, as well!! (Actually, we would love to bring an entire plane load of children home with us...but that's not the way it works!) So, in the very near future, we will share the names of our little Sweetie (or Sweeties) with you. I can hardly wait to share them. For not only will that bring the reality of our daughter even closer, but we can pray more specifically for her. Be watching!
May your journey in life continue to be blessed as richly as you have blessed our journey! You are all so dear to us. Blessings to all of you!
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
We love you, Sweetie!
It's just one of those days that I can't get our little Sweetie off my mind. She may not even be born yet but I can't help but think about her and her journey to our family. Last night, a friend emailed some pictures of her little daughter from China and I was so touched by those beautiful photos! (Thanks, Yolanda!) :() So today I'm thinking about our little one and wondering how she is doing, where she is, what she's thinking and feeling. Of course, I'm reminded that no matter where she is, she is always in the love and care of her precious Heavenly Father.
So, Sweetie, please know that your Daddy, Mommy, Sister and Brother are thinking about you everyday and love you so much!!!! You are very dear to our hearts already! Every time we see a precious child from China, we think of you! Everytime I see little girl clothes, I think of you! (Ok, I confess, I've already been picking up little socks, headbands, ribbons and bibs for you!! And planning the nursery is fun, too!) Every time we hear a little child laugh, we smile as we think of you. When we rise in the mornings or go to sleep at night, we think of you! And when I'm in the grocery store and see baby formula or baby food, I think of you again! Yes...even diapers look "sweet" to us again! :() I've already been thinking about updating my teacher materials so I can teach you to read like I did with your big sis and brother. We're going to have so much fun learning about one another and sharing life together. And of course, there will be music for us to enjoy...and walks to take...and so many sweet folks in our lives who love you and are praying for you already! You're going to love your Daddy's laugh...and your Sister's singing voice...and your Brother can really play that trumpet! (Of course, I'll teach you about playing piano, too!) Your brother will try to teach you about football and maybe you will understand it much better than I do! (But I'll show you my tennis racquet when he's not around!) ha! And your sister will sing to you and you will think you're hearing the voice of an angel! That Daddy of yours is so special! His heart is precious and he works very hard for our family. And his speaking voice is quite distinguished, too! We love to laugh and we can hardly wait to see your first smile and hear your first chuckle! We love you, sweetie! Even though you are halfway around the world, you're already a major part of our family and our lives. So hold on and know that the same arms of God that hold you now...will bring you into our arms soon. We love you and we're praying for you...and we're waiting for you with arms wide open!
Thanking God for you, our Precious Blessing from China,
Your Daddy, Mommy, Sister and Brother
So, Sweetie, please know that your Daddy, Mommy, Sister and Brother are thinking about you everyday and love you so much!!!! You are very dear to our hearts already! Every time we see a precious child from China, we think of you! Everytime I see little girl clothes, I think of you! (Ok, I confess, I've already been picking up little socks, headbands, ribbons and bibs for you!! And planning the nursery is fun, too!) Every time we hear a little child laugh, we smile as we think of you. When we rise in the mornings or go to sleep at night, we think of you! And when I'm in the grocery store and see baby formula or baby food, I think of you again! Yes...even diapers look "sweet" to us again! :() I've already been thinking about updating my teacher materials so I can teach you to read like I did with your big sis and brother. We're going to have so much fun learning about one another and sharing life together. And of course, there will be music for us to enjoy...and walks to take...and so many sweet folks in our lives who love you and are praying for you already! You're going to love your Daddy's laugh...and your Sister's singing voice...and your Brother can really play that trumpet! (Of course, I'll teach you about playing piano, too!) Your brother will try to teach you about football and maybe you will understand it much better than I do! (But I'll show you my tennis racquet when he's not around!) ha! And your sister will sing to you and you will think you're hearing the voice of an angel! That Daddy of yours is so special! His heart is precious and he works very hard for our family. And his speaking voice is quite distinguished, too! We love to laugh and we can hardly wait to see your first smile and hear your first chuckle! We love you, sweetie! Even though you are halfway around the world, you're already a major part of our family and our lives. So hold on and know that the same arms of God that hold you now...will bring you into our arms soon. We love you and we're praying for you...and we're waiting for you with arms wide open!
Thanking God for you, our Precious Blessing from China,
Your Daddy, Mommy, Sister and Brother
Sunday, October 7, 2007
Blessed...again!
It's been a few days since we wrote but I wanted to express what a wonderful weekend it has been. Our daughter came home from college to work...and to celebrate her birthday! It was amazing. We were thrilled to share the past few days with her. Interestingly, she left the university a little later than we expected...and later called to tell us she was in a traffic jam on the interstate. We soon realized that if she had left earlier, she could have easily been in one of two accidents on that road instead of behind them! Wow! We were so blessed to have her arrive home later...safely! Now she has returned to school and is ready for another week of studies. We are so grateful for her safety...and for every precious day she has been in our lives! Happy Birthday again, Sweetie!
Our son was in another band competition and made it back safely as well. He's fighting a knee injury but was blessed enough to get through the competition and play his solos well. So we are very thankful for that and for all the kind people who shared concern and assistance for him. Congratulations, son, on a job well done! We are so proud of your dedication and hard work. But take care of that knee, ok? We have a couple more weekends to go, including state finals! Know that we're cheering for you, too!
We were so excited to attend Church last night and be with our friends again. It is always so great to be with our Church family. While in the service, we noticed a young Dad bringing his two sweet daughters into the room to be with him and their Mom. When I saw that family, I felt such a peaceful reminder from God. For these two sisters, probably around two and four years of age, were beautiful children from China. They were so sweet! Of course, there were tears in our eyes for we know that in the middle of all the paperwork, expenses and waiting, God continues to orchestrate His plan to bring us together with our little daughter someday. Knowing that we may be waiting for another two years before we see her and hold her in our arms is challenging, to say the least. But between seeing those sweet girls at Church and the encouragement from another friend we saw yesterday, we just knew that God was reminding us to hold on and to wait patiently! And we will.
So the weekend has been wonderful. Our family was together the majority of the weekend. Our son and daughter enjoyed safe trips. We saw a very dear friend who was so encouraging about our adoption process. And then we saw those precious girls who had joined their "forever family" at our Church. Truly, our Journey of Blessings continues. May each of you be blessed richly as we all cherish every breath of life as a gift!
Walking by faith....
Terri & Family
Our son was in another band competition and made it back safely as well. He's fighting a knee injury but was blessed enough to get through the competition and play his solos well. So we are very thankful for that and for all the kind people who shared concern and assistance for him. Congratulations, son, on a job well done! We are so proud of your dedication and hard work. But take care of that knee, ok? We have a couple more weekends to go, including state finals! Know that we're cheering for you, too!
We were so excited to attend Church last night and be with our friends again. It is always so great to be with our Church family. While in the service, we noticed a young Dad bringing his two sweet daughters into the room to be with him and their Mom. When I saw that family, I felt such a peaceful reminder from God. For these two sisters, probably around two and four years of age, were beautiful children from China. They were so sweet! Of course, there were tears in our eyes for we know that in the middle of all the paperwork, expenses and waiting, God continues to orchestrate His plan to bring us together with our little daughter someday. Knowing that we may be waiting for another two years before we see her and hold her in our arms is challenging, to say the least. But between seeing those sweet girls at Church and the encouragement from another friend we saw yesterday, we just knew that God was reminding us to hold on and to wait patiently! And we will.
So the weekend has been wonderful. Our family was together the majority of the weekend. Our son and daughter enjoyed safe trips. We saw a very dear friend who was so encouraging about our adoption process. And then we saw those precious girls who had joined their "forever family" at our Church. Truly, our Journey of Blessings continues. May each of you be blessed richly as we all cherish every breath of life as a gift!
Walking by faith....
Terri & Family
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