Time seems to pass so quickly in many areas of our lives...except one, of course. But we are so thankful for each day that brings us closer to our baby girl/s in China. We are also grateful for the precious family we already have anxiously waiting for our new addition/s. Life is certainly blessed. Yet each new day brings thoughts of our little one/s. Is she born yet? How is her birthmom doing? How did she make it to the orphanage? What does she look like? Does she love music? Does she have sweet dreams at night of a family in central Kentucky who loves her and is moving closer to the day when we will finally be together?
Much like the time when our adult daughter will be away from home on a mission trip starting next week, my heart always aches as I hold my children close "from a distance" with love and prayers...no matter where they are in this world. I'm already counting the days until Rachel returns home...and she hasn't even left yet. I count the hours until our son returns home from school each day...or when my husband arrives home from work. So it's no surprise that my heart aches for the day we will unite with our baby girl and bring her home. It's a Mom's heart, I suppose. And there's a place for each loved one that can never be replaced by anyone or anything else. How amazing it will be when we are all together...finally.
The latest news is that we received word this week that our Dossier has been reviewed by the CCAA. This is standard procedure for all Dossiers in China's system and to know that we finally reached that level in the process is very exciting. I'm wondering about the other families with Dossiers logged in during the same time frame and how we are all moving forward in the process moment by moment...day after day...month after month...year after year. It will be exciting to meet them when we finally reach the time to travel to China. My prayers are certainly with each of their journeys, as well. We have once again been reminded that the journey continues and progress has been made. Yessssss!
Today brought yet another precious reminder of our little one/s to come. My dear friend, Judy, and I met for lunch and as usual, had an absolute blast. Oh, the stories I could tell about how we can turn a simple lunch date into an adventure! She's such an amazing woman of God and a tremendously faithful friend! Before I returned home, Judy handed me another gift...an adorable little set of booties for our JennaBeth. They are precious!!! But that's not all. Remember how she gave us Virginia Tech socks before? Well, she's also a very fair person. Knowing that Tim is from Ohio and there are some Ohio State Buckeye fans in this family...let's just say that those new booties are proudly displaying the Ohio State logo! How thoughtful and kind is that? One of these days we'll post pictures of JennaBeth wearing her amazing wardrobe! :) I can hardly wait to share those pics with you. Again, thank you, my dear friend Judy...for being you...for being so kind, generous, faithful, prayerful, loving and joyful in our journey! We are continually amazed by the faithful gifts of friendship we have been given in this lifetime. And we love each of you dearly!
So it's been another day of reminders of our progress, our baby girl/s, our friends...and a journey we could never have imagined. I look forward to the day we can share with our sweetie/s from China...just how many people, prayers and blessings accompanied our journey to her. The journey won't stop there, either. And we're cherishing each step ahead. May God bless you in your journeys. You are in our constant thoughts and prayers.
Cherishing another day...
Terri & Family
Jenna Elizabeth (aka "JennaBeth") Song Lorenz
Waiting For Our Little One To Come Home From China!
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Monday, May 18, 2009
Twenty-Five Months...And Still Going!
It has been a whirlwind in our lives recently...but the journey definitely continues for the Lorenz family! I planned to write much sooner but my plans were repeatedly delayed. So today I will write and try to update you on our Journey of Blessings.
In the past two weeks, we have moved our daughter home from college, celebrated Mother's Day, celebrated our twenty-fifth wedding anniversary, celebrated Tim's birthday...and reached the twenty-five month point of our adoption Log-In-Date. Have I missed anything? Oh...our daughter is preparing for a mission trip to Haiti where she will spend almost two weeks working with a Christian Mission in medical services plus she is working at our local pharmacy for the rest of the summer. Our son is in the last several weeks of his junior year in high school so this is a busy time of year for him, as well. He is looking for a job so he can work toward his first car and prepare for his college years in the near future. (Did I mention he attended two proms this spring?) I'm sure there's more going on but for now, I think that's plenty of update information for all of us to process.
Yes, it's been a busy time but a blessed time. We are so thankful that we have a healthy family, a time to celebrate our Moms and the Mom of our baby girl/s in China. We are grateful for twenty-five years of life as our own little family. (How did those years pass so quickly?) We are blessed that our daughter is home and successfully completed her sophomore year of nursing school. She is also blessed to have the pharmacy job and work for a great professor at the university as she continues her education. Our son is growing into such a wonderful young man as he anticipates one more year of high school...and then a college education in architecture. As long as the wait seems, we are also thankful that we are twenty-five months closer to our sweet baby girl/s in China! Twenty-five months LID the day after our twenty-fifth wedding anniversary seemed like perfect timing, too!! My husband's birthday also gave us many reasons to celebrate a wonderful man's life who loves, cares and shares so faithfully! As full as life has been, there has been much to celebrate and anticipate along our journey!
We continue to also thank God for the blessings of precious friends and family who encourage and pray for us as we move closer and closer to our sweet baby girl/s. I can never find adequate words to express just how much you all mean to us as we move toward the time we will meet our JennaBeth (and EmmaKate?) and bring her home with us. Knowing so many of you care and share this journey makes all the difference. The journey is not always easy but it will always be worth it...and we can hardly wait to share the continued joy with you all.
I hope and pray that you are all being blessed in your journeys. Celebrate each moment of every day as a true gift. Be thankful for the blessings and help one another with the burdens. And please cherish the journey we all share together in this life. We're in this together...and we're still going!
Cherishing each step....
Terri and Family
In the past two weeks, we have moved our daughter home from college, celebrated Mother's Day, celebrated our twenty-fifth wedding anniversary, celebrated Tim's birthday...and reached the twenty-five month point of our adoption Log-In-Date. Have I missed anything? Oh...our daughter is preparing for a mission trip to Haiti where she will spend almost two weeks working with a Christian Mission in medical services plus she is working at our local pharmacy for the rest of the summer. Our son is in the last several weeks of his junior year in high school so this is a busy time of year for him, as well. He is looking for a job so he can work toward his first car and prepare for his college years in the near future. (Did I mention he attended two proms this spring?) I'm sure there's more going on but for now, I think that's plenty of update information for all of us to process.
Yes, it's been a busy time but a blessed time. We are so thankful that we have a healthy family, a time to celebrate our Moms and the Mom of our baby girl/s in China. We are grateful for twenty-five years of life as our own little family. (How did those years pass so quickly?) We are blessed that our daughter is home and successfully completed her sophomore year of nursing school. She is also blessed to have the pharmacy job and work for a great professor at the university as she continues her education. Our son is growing into such a wonderful young man as he anticipates one more year of high school...and then a college education in architecture. As long as the wait seems, we are also thankful that we are twenty-five months closer to our sweet baby girl/s in China! Twenty-five months LID the day after our twenty-fifth wedding anniversary seemed like perfect timing, too!! My husband's birthday also gave us many reasons to celebrate a wonderful man's life who loves, cares and shares so faithfully! As full as life has been, there has been much to celebrate and anticipate along our journey!
We continue to also thank God for the blessings of precious friends and family who encourage and pray for us as we move closer and closer to our sweet baby girl/s. I can never find adequate words to express just how much you all mean to us as we move toward the time we will meet our JennaBeth (and EmmaKate?) and bring her home with us. Knowing so many of you care and share this journey makes all the difference. The journey is not always easy but it will always be worth it...and we can hardly wait to share the continued joy with you all.
I hope and pray that you are all being blessed in your journeys. Celebrate each moment of every day as a true gift. Be thankful for the blessings and help one another with the burdens. And please cherish the journey we all share together in this life. We're in this together...and we're still going!
Cherishing each step....
Terri and Family
Sunday, May 3, 2009
Derby Weekend...Lessons Learned
Yes, it's Derby weekend in Kentucky and it's been an exciting time! For several weeks, there have been many activities leading up to this thrilling event. You just can't live in Kentucky and not know about it. Tim, Micah and I even spent a wonderful Sunday afternoon last month at Keeneland watching the horse races and that was an incredible experience! (Thanks, Myron & Sue!) Although I still have so much to learn about the horse world, I am continually blessed to enjoy the beautiful scenery, pride, thrill and wonder surrounding us in this area. Of course, loving horses since I was a child has made this season in our lives even more exciting.
As always, my analytical mind has thought long and hard about the lessons we can learn from the thrill of Derby weekend...and all that is involved long before it arrives. I have heard folks comment in previous years that all the hoopla about a "two minute race" seems a bit extreme. But that really isn't a complete picture of all that's involved with the Derby...not by a long shot. (Sorry...I couldn't resist that pun!) There is so much involved long before those "two minutes." There are countless hours and people involved in the care, training, planning, support and behind the scenes activities which make Derby Day possible. There are many facets of selection, preparation and hard work which finally bring those specific horses to Churchill Downs for that wonderful day in the Commonwealth of Kentucky. The two minutes seen around the world are only a fraction...yet very cherished...part of a long and tedious process. But what an amazing two minutes they are! Because of all the effort of so many people and those majestic animals, it's a very special day for rejoicing and celebrating.
We can learn so many lessons about patience, consistent endeavors, discipline, focus and endurance from this, can't we? Whatever season we are experiencing in life, we can certainly benefit from holding on to the purpose and joy of the journey...and the goals ahead. This applies to life, faith, health, education, relationships and family. I believe that each life has been placed on this earth for a specific and valuable reason and that the journey of life is a constant process which prepares us for each step ahead. Sometimes it is hard to see. Other times we find ourselves acknowledging and celebrating specific seasons. But each moment is a valuable and necessary step forward.
The journey to our baby girl/s in China is also a process that requires focus, endurance, patience, hard work and efforts by many people on local, state, national and international levels. There are hours, days, weeks, months and even years involved in the journey of adoption. It is a process of patience, faith, hard work, cooperation and keeping our eyes on the goal of bringing our precious daughter/s home to our Forever Family. Sometimes it is difficult to wait. Sometimes it is frustrating to love someone so much but not have her home with us...yet. Sometimes there are various concerns as we wonder how it will all work out. Yet when we remind ourselves of our precious little girl/s waiting for us to travel to China, hold her in our arms for the first time, meet the wonderful people who have cared for her since birth, and bring her home to join us for the rest of our lives...it's soooooo worth it.
As we watched the beginning of the races recently, the track seemed long and the horses seemed far away. But the anticipation steadily grew as they rounded each turn closer to the prize. I won't forget hearing the growing excitement of the crowd as the horses drew nearer. And then...it seemed the ground literally shook as the thunderous roar of those horses became closer and stronger...and in full sight of the finish line. What a thrill as they crossed the line and realized how worthwhile every step of the journey had been that brought them to this joyful, amazing, breath-taking and exciting moment!
Hold on...whatever your season of life is and wherever you are in the journey! Each step is purposeful. Each moment is valuable. Each turn is significant. Hold on...to one another and to the One who has a perfect plan and design for your life. Hold on...to a journey that is blessed and beautiful along the way. Hold on, JennaBeth (EmmaKate?)! We're coming around another turn to hold you in our arms...and bring you home. Our journey is so worth it!
Cherishing each moment of holding on....
Terri & Family
As always, my analytical mind has thought long and hard about the lessons we can learn from the thrill of Derby weekend...and all that is involved long before it arrives. I have heard folks comment in previous years that all the hoopla about a "two minute race" seems a bit extreme. But that really isn't a complete picture of all that's involved with the Derby...not by a long shot. (Sorry...I couldn't resist that pun!) There is so much involved long before those "two minutes." There are countless hours and people involved in the care, training, planning, support and behind the scenes activities which make Derby Day possible. There are many facets of selection, preparation and hard work which finally bring those specific horses to Churchill Downs for that wonderful day in the Commonwealth of Kentucky. The two minutes seen around the world are only a fraction...yet very cherished...part of a long and tedious process. But what an amazing two minutes they are! Because of all the effort of so many people and those majestic animals, it's a very special day for rejoicing and celebrating.
We can learn so many lessons about patience, consistent endeavors, discipline, focus and endurance from this, can't we? Whatever season we are experiencing in life, we can certainly benefit from holding on to the purpose and joy of the journey...and the goals ahead. This applies to life, faith, health, education, relationships and family. I believe that each life has been placed on this earth for a specific and valuable reason and that the journey of life is a constant process which prepares us for each step ahead. Sometimes it is hard to see. Other times we find ourselves acknowledging and celebrating specific seasons. But each moment is a valuable and necessary step forward.
The journey to our baby girl/s in China is also a process that requires focus, endurance, patience, hard work and efforts by many people on local, state, national and international levels. There are hours, days, weeks, months and even years involved in the journey of adoption. It is a process of patience, faith, hard work, cooperation and keeping our eyes on the goal of bringing our precious daughter/s home to our Forever Family. Sometimes it is difficult to wait. Sometimes it is frustrating to love someone so much but not have her home with us...yet. Sometimes there are various concerns as we wonder how it will all work out. Yet when we remind ourselves of our precious little girl/s waiting for us to travel to China, hold her in our arms for the first time, meet the wonderful people who have cared for her since birth, and bring her home to join us for the rest of our lives...it's soooooo worth it.
As we watched the beginning of the races recently, the track seemed long and the horses seemed far away. But the anticipation steadily grew as they rounded each turn closer to the prize. I won't forget hearing the growing excitement of the crowd as the horses drew nearer. And then...it seemed the ground literally shook as the thunderous roar of those horses became closer and stronger...and in full sight of the finish line. What a thrill as they crossed the line and realized how worthwhile every step of the journey had been that brought them to this joyful, amazing, breath-taking and exciting moment!
Hold on...whatever your season of life is and wherever you are in the journey! Each step is purposeful. Each moment is valuable. Each turn is significant. Hold on...to one another and to the One who has a perfect plan and design for your life. Hold on...to a journey that is blessed and beautiful along the way. Hold on, JennaBeth (EmmaKate?)! We're coming around another turn to hold you in our arms...and bring you home. Our journey is so worth it!
Cherishing each moment of holding on....
Terri & Family
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)