Merry Christmas & "JennaBear" ♥

The stockings are hung. Candles glow in the windows. Wreaths are on the doors. The tree stands tall with Baby Jesus placed front and center. Cards are arriving daily from loved ones far and near. Manger scenes remind us of the true reason for this celebration. It's definitely Christmas in our Kentucky home. Both children are home from college and Tim will soon be on vacation from work. The list of last minute details remains in constant view. My heart holds joy, gratitude and love as I sense this time of being together with dear family and friends.

Sitting in the high chair beside the softly illuminated China cabinet is a beautiful, plush white Bear wearing festive red and white Christmas clothing. She reminds us that a part of our family strongly lives in our hearts but resides in a country half-way around the world. "JennaBear" came home a few days ago when our daughter, Rachel, saw her in a store and brought her home for our baby girl/s in China. We are daily reminded as we see JennaBear sitting in the high chair that someday soon, our baby girl/s will be home with us. Yet until that wonderful time, our hearts, love, prayers and thoughts always carry our JennaBeth/EmmaKate with us. We were so touched by Rachel's thoughtful and kind deed. I so enjoyed watching Rachel place JennaBear in the high chair with such love, anticipation, joy and hope. Now we celebrate the arrival of a long-awaited Baby Boy around two thousand years ago...while we anticipate the arrival of a long-awaited baby girl or two in our family. What a difference love, joy, hope and excitement bring into life!

There are no words to adequately express the love we have for the amazing Baby who came to this earth thousands of years ago to change the world. As the song says, "a Baby changes everything." He certainly did...and does...so that we may be Home with Him some day. It's also challenging to find words to describe how the love we have for this baby girl or two whom we have never met..but will travel around the world to bring home with us someday soon. She will definitely change our lives completely! Yet there are also other people in our lives whom we love dearly who continue to walk this journey of blessings with us as we wait, pray, love and hope along each step of the way. You...our faithful and dear friends, family members, agency workers, doctors, nurses, office workers and prayer warriors. We obviously could not endure this long journey toward our baby girl/s without you. You are appreciated immensely.

It is hard to imagine how a husband and wife felt years ago as they traveled a long distance before they held the Son of God in their arms. But He was and is life-changing for all the world. It is difficult to imagine the joy we will feel when we finally travel to China and hold our baby girl/s in our arms for the first time. But our lives are changed forever already by that little girl. Our journey is not alone as we sense the prayers and presence of each of you walking beside us. Thank you for another year of walking together. It is my sincere prayer that your Christmas and New Year will be blessed with unending love, amazing joy, indescribable hope and tremendous peace.
Cherishing Christmas with Love,
Terri & Family

Forty-Four Months & Getting So Wonderfully Close!

Dear Jenna Elizabeth/Emma Katherine~
Today marks forty-four months of our paperwork arriving in your home country and being entered in China's adoption system! That's a very long time but we are so close to seeing your face/s and coming to China to bring you home to your Forever Family!

I wonder...how you are doing, where you are, how your birth Mom is doing, what you look like, what you are thinking and feeling. I wonder what you are wearing today, if you have lots of hair yet, what you like to eat/drink....and if you like music. I wonder...if you have rolled over, walked or talked yet. I wonder if you smile lots, are outgoing or a bit shy. I wonder if you love to laugh and giggle lots or if you are more quiet and reserved. Do you favor your left or right hand yet? Do you go to sleep easily or do you like to stay awake as long as possible? When you are dreaming, do you ever see a family with a Dad, Mom, sister and brother who are waiting for you in a place called Kentucky? Do you have any idea how many people are praying for you, loving you and anxiously waiting to meet you someday soon? Will you enjoy flying on airplanes with Dad & Mom to bring you home? What will be your first word in English? Dad? Mom? Rachel? Micah? Will you enjoy books? We love to read and will enjoy taking turns reading to you!

Do you know that your Dad is a very wonderful man who works hard, loves deeply and is a great father to your sister and brother? Do you know that your big sis is getting ready to graduate from college and will be a nurse? Do you know that your big brother is in college, too, and wants to work in the medical field to help sick people feel better? Do you know your Mom loves to listen to people share their thoughts, hearts and life stories? Do you know that we also love to sing together and we play instruments like trumpets, flute, piano, organ & keyboard? Will you like pop music like your Dad or country music like your sis and brother? Or classical music like your Mom...or Contemporary Christian music like your entire family? We have so much to learn about you and we can hardly wait to share life with you, precious one/s.

When we put up the Christmas tree this year, we realized that this will most likely be the last Christmas we will be apart from you. We can hardly wait to watch you next year when you see the Christmas tree lights, the snow on the ground and the pretty colors decorating our home, the town and the city we often visit. How will you respond when you see packages under the tree for you on Christmas morning? And all the precious people who love you so much will be wishing you Merry Christmas on your first Christmas home with us. It will be wonderful!

For now, I miss you so much but I know you are loved and taken care of by some very kind people placed in your life. It isn't the same without you here but you are always in my heart, my thoughts, my prayers and my dreams. There may be many miles between us...but our love is always with you, sweet daughter/s. May your Christmas in China be very special. May your new year be amazing as you plan to come home to your Forever Family. I love you, baby girl/s. We are holding you closely in our hearts until we can hold you in our arms. You are never alone and you are always loved. Rest, dear daughter/s. We will see you soon and love you forever. ♥ Mom
Cherishing the dreams of holding our baby girl/s soon,
Terri & family

Forty-Three Months Closer!!!

We have great news to share again! As of yesterday, November 13, 2010, we have been "Logged-In" China's adoption system for Forty-Three months! We are getting so much closer to our baby girl/s! We have always seen each step in this journey as another blessing toward seeing, meeting, holding and bringing our little girl/s home from China. But forty-three months is a significant accomplishment in the process. We are thrilled, to say the least!

We have been told recently about how very patient we are as we wait. Well, truthfully, we don't always FEEL patient. There are times when I see other little Chinese girls and my heart stirs strongly because we long for our daughter so deeply. There are moments when I feel a very strong connection to her...even more than usual. (Those of you who have experienced adoption know exactly what I am talking about!) There are times that I just want to jump on a plane, go find JennaBeth/EmmaKate and bring our little one/s home...NOW!! But...as we have learned many times in life, God's timing is always better than our own! So we wait, pray, love, wonder, wish, hope, wait, work, update, wait, dream and wait some more. But we do know that it is always worth this journey and whatever time is involved.

I often heard when I was pregnant with Rachel and Micah that once I held my babies in my arms, I would forget the labor pains. Well...I have to disagree--strongly! :) For those pains were very uncomfortable, strong and exhausting...but each moment brought the birth of our children closer...and it was worth it all. I will not forget the patience, pain or presence of so many people who encouraged and helped us during those wonderful experiences of having our first two children arrive. I DO remember...vividly...what it took to reach the point of holding our babies in our arms. And I would do it all over again in a heartbeat! THAT'S what love does!

Likewise, the "delivery" of our baby girl/s in our arms sometime soon will be so rewarding that I will always consider this journey very worthwhile. Will I "forget" each prayer, update, homestudy, form, fee, dr. visit, fingerprint appointment, etc. that we had to endure? No...for each step was a valuable part of bringing our daughter/s home to us! I cherish any and every endeavor that led us closer to our little one/s. Just as "moms who have been there" are so encouraging to new moms, I hope that our adoption journey will enable me to encourage other parents who are waiting for their children, too.

Adoption is a wonderful blessing to so many lives! I always knew it was special. I have seen friends and relatives rejoice from the blessings of adoption since my childhood. My husband saw the same situations in his life. But now we see the joy of adoption in an entirely new light for we are experiencing it firsthand. It has touched our hearts, lives, family, faith and attitudes forever. To realize that God called us...a very simple family...to become parents of a little girl or two from China who need the love a Dad, Mom, brother and sister...is both overwhelming and amazing! Some folks have told us that our little girl/s will be blessed to join us. And that means so much to us. But I must admit that I believe WE will be the very blessed ones! To share love, life, family name, laughter, joy and our world with this precious little one is an incredible calling! Our lives will never be the same...and we are touched forever!

November is National Adoption Awareness Month and we are blessed to be a part of the joy and journey of adoption. May God bless each orphan, adoptive family, friend, social worker, adoption agency, doctor, attorney, notary, caregiver, government worker and individual who make this journey possible. Thank you for your continued prayers, love, encouragement and presence on our amazing Journey of Blessings.
Loving our Little Ones in China,
Terri & Family

And Now....Forty-Two Months Along!!!!

Has it been almost a month since my last post? Time is passing so quickly on the calendar...but slowly in our hearts re: our little girl/s in China! But each month that passes means a major step closer to meeting our daughter/s and bringing her home! What a blessed life we have...and I am so thankful.

The past month has been busy here at the Lorenz home. Our Rachel and Micah have been busy at the universities and working at their jobs. It's so hard to believe they are taking mid-term exams already in this semester! Just yesterday I saw a Christmas tree in someone's window here in town. Yes...that's right....it is the middle of October and someone has their Christmas tree up! Before we know it, 2010 will be closing and 2011 will begin. But we stay busy and life has been wonderful in so many ways.

During the past couple weeks, we returned to a town where we used to live to attend the Celebration of the Life of a precious person in our previous ministry. Although we were sad for the occasion of his passing, we were all very aware that we will see Philip again. Yet to walk into the Church building as well as visit in the home with friends from almost twenty years ago was much like "going home." We were so blessed to spend time with our friends that day. Tim and I cherished each moment of reconnecting with those precious people.

Last weekend, we attended the Fall Homecoming at our alma mater, Kentucky Christian University. Our daughter was last year's Homecoming Queen so we watched her crown the new Queen. Plus, we saw people we had not seen for the last twenty-five to thirty years! It was wonderful! We are already talking about next year's event!

During these times of reconnecting with others at our school and our former residence, I couldn't help but think about the Homecoming we anticipate with our baby girl/s. I tried to imagine the joy of having our little JennaBeth, (perhaps EmmaKate), come home for the first time. I thought of how wonderful it will be when our daughter, Rachel, meets and holds her baby sister/s for the first time. And I thought about how our son, Micah, will see his baby sister/s and take her into his arms for the very first time. How wonderful it will be to have our little girl/s to meet their older sister and brother...and grandparents, uncles, aunts, cousins...and all of our dear friends. I even thought about taking our little girl/s back to KCU for Homecoming next year! There we will be pushing a stroller while our friends are already grandparents! I have even wondered how thrilling it will be when we set foot on US soil for the first time with our baby girl/s....and what it will be like when we walk into the airport holding our little one/s...as our Rachel and Micah wait for their very first glimpse of their new sister/s. Homecoming will hold even greater meaning for us than ever before...and I can hardly wait.

For now, though, forty-two months since our Log-In Date with China's adoption system, there is much to do, prepare and anticipate as we come down the homestretch part of our wait! But for this moment, I am enjoying this step in the journey and am so thankful for each blessing along the way. The house is so quiet this morning while Rachel and Micah are at KCU and UK and while Tim is sleeping before returning to work tonight. But it won't be long until there will be a little girl...or two...filling our home with love, laughter, new schedules, diaper changes, bottle feedings, baby food, car seats...and another wonderful journey of life with our little one/s.

Thank You, God, for this amazing journey of our lives...for calling us to be Mom & Dad to your sweet children, Jenna Elizabeth (Chinese name) Lorenz ("JennaBeth")...and perhaps Emma Katherine (Chinese name) Lorenz ("EmmaKate"). Thank You for our dear friends and family who are praying, loving and walking beside us as we take each step closer to our little girl/s in China. Thank You for all those who are caring for our baby girl/s in China...and for all of those here in the USA who are helping us prepare to bring her home. Thank You for holding us all in Your hands...while we hold our baby girl/s in our hearts!
Cherishing this amazing journey of blessings,
Terri & family

Forty-One Months...And Counting!!!

It's so hard to believe that our Dossier was logged in China's adoption system forty-one months ago on the 13th of this month! Wow! Yes, we have officially been in this journey more than four years...but the L.I.D. is the "measuring stick" in regard to when it is our turn for Referral. So we rejoice that we are forty-one months closer to our sweet little one/s in China! Amaaaaaaaazing!

It never ceases to amaze me how wonderful God's timing is in this journey of life and blessings. My initial hope was that our older children would still be living at home when our baby girl/s arrived home from China. Of course the wait time when we first logged in was eighteen months...so that was a feasible concept...then. But the wait time obviously grew....and grew...and grew. Then our Rachel went to college. Now our Micah has gone to college. And we continue to wait. At first I was a bit disappointed that we didn't have them all home at once. But now I realize that God's design is far better than my own plans. Now that our older children are in college, and now that I have this time to renew, refresh and restore some goals in my own life, the timing will be so perfect when we bring our little one/s home. My classes will be completed. (Unless I take on more...which is always a possibility since I love learning and enjoy working toward the goal of Crisis/Trauma Counseling.) The nursery will be ready. I will have a season of time at home with my precious husband. And our older children will not be so far away, either, whether in college or in jobs. Plus, I can devote lots more time and focus to JennaBeth/EmmaKate's needs once we return home. It's been a nice season of catching our breath, enjoying the adjustment time and preparing for another season of the blessing of parenthood! Of course, there are always those Holidays when Rachel and Micah will come home and we will all be together...finally!

I still enjoy observing the reactions of people when they ask how we're doing with the "Empty Nest Syndrome." When we respond that our nest isn't empty because, instead, it's an Adjusting Nest Syndrome as we prepare to adopt, there are so many wonderful responses. Some folks are shocked. Most folks are very excited. Some folks then ask that other interesting question..."Oh, so you're going to start all over again?" Then we surprise them again by saying..."No...because we never finished!" How exciting is that! We're definitely not typical parents...but that's fine with us. We love living life as fully and unexpectedly as possible! :) Why live boring when there can be excitement instead? And won't it be a great joy when our future grandchildren someday play with their "Aunt/s" who may not be that much older than her nieces/nephews? Wow! What blessings that will be! What a great way to embrace life!

So...Forty-One months and the counting continues! Our estimate right now is late spring/early summer for Referral..and then a couple months later we will travel to China. We continue to ask your prayers for our little one/s in China. Also, please pray for our family as we continue to seek God's guidance, direction, provision and protection during this season in our lives. It would be greatly appreciated if you would ask God to perhaps time it so we may attend our Rachel's college graduation next May instead of going to China at the same time. :) But we trust that He knows what is best and He will take care of it all. Of course, I wouldn't mind having a stroller at our daughter's college graduation, either! Life is blessed and we are so grateful. We deeply appreciate your continued prayers, love, companionship and joy in our journey. We're getting soooooooo close. Hopefully it won't be long until we will not only hug our JennaBeth/EmmaKate in our hearts...but in our arms, as well. We look forward to sharing more joy of this journey with you as we meet her...and as we live together as a Forever Family. May your journeys continue to be blessed with love, joy, peace and hope.
Cherishing this amazing journey together,
Terri & Family ♥

College Kids & Cribs!

Our journey definitely continues....but the past month or so has been a tremendous whirlwind of activities, plans and preparations. I knew it had been a little while since I had written on this blog. But I didn't realize it had been almost a month. Wow! Time continues to pass by so very quickly....with the exception, of course, of bringing our little girl/s home from China. As always, though, God's timing is perfect and His design is always best.

Last week we moved our daughter, Rachel, back to Kentucky Christian University for her Senior year. Unbelievable! How did the years go so quickly for her in college? But the truth remains that she is definitely a senior in college and is gearing up for classes, clinicals and all the activities involved. She is so excited about her nursing major and we know she will be an incredible nurse as she touches lives for Him. We are so proud of her!

We also moved our son, Micah, to Lexington to begin his freshman year at the University of Kentucky. That was very exciting for him...and a bit tough on Mom and Dad! :) But he seems to be adjusting well. He is presently majoring in Chemistry and hopes to pursue the College of Pharmacy. We are so proud of him, as well. Watching him move away was yet another reminder of how quickly time passes. When we moved to our present home, Rachel was only four years of age and Micah was sixteen months old. Now they are both in college. We have been majorly blessed with these dear children and we are excited to see where God leads them in the days ahead.

We have often been asked how we like the "empty nest" syndrome we now face. However, we don't see it as an empty nest situation at all. Instead, we see it as "Rearranging the Nest" time. We will spend the next several months preparing our home for our sweet little baby girl/s from China. There is much work to do and life in our home will never be boring! :) Tim and I still look forward to Rachel and Micah coming home on weekends and breaks to work at the pharmacy...plus, of course, to raid the fridge and keep the laundry room busy. We have multiple house projects to complete. I have two AACC courses to finish before our family grows again. And we have other goals and dreams we wish to pursue during this time. So the "empty nest" really isn't empty after all. Of course, we miss Rachel and Micah...so very much. But when they aren't home, or texting, calling, or spending time with us on their campuses, there is a great deal to keep this "nest" going at full speed. :) Yes, we have moved our older children to college. Now it's time to prepare the crib/s! :)

More good news is that we did receive our updated I-600A form from Homeland Security! We are definitely thrilled about that. No one needs to be fingerprinted until next summer. We have been logged in for over forty months now! Time is getting so much closer! We pray we will have our little JennaBeth (EmmaKate?) very soon. I can hardly wait to have Rachel, Micah and our little China daughter/s all together!

Thank you for continuing this journey with us. If you will, please pray for our family as Rachel and Micah adapt to college life this fall, for our family as we face life with two children in college, for our sweet JennaBeth (EmmaKate?) in China and for God's hand to move in such perfect design and timing that our family honors and glorifies Him each step of the way. This journey has been much longer than we ever anticipated. But we know it is in His hands and He will see us through in every aspect we must face. We thank Him for each of you as you pray, encourage, love and care along our journey. We cherish each step our family has taken all these years and we shall cherish each step ahead. From cribs to college...to cribs again, we are so blessed and grateful for this journey of life, faith, family and friends. God bless each of you in your journeys!
Cherishing this amazing journey,
Terri & family

Just Thinking......

It's a hot, sunny, summer day and I'm staying inside as much as possible! So I thought I would write a few lines to our dear friends/family. There are no new steps in the journey to share today. But I do have a random thought going through my head. :)

Last week Tim and I spent a few days visiting his family in Ohio. We checked in a hotel, visited with his parents and their spouses, visited his dear Aunt Lucy...and reminisced...lots. Sometimes we drove around country roads I never saw before. Other times, we drove around familiar areas. We even spent time visiting the town where he attended high school. I enjoyed seeing the sights where my precious hubby grew up. I especially enjoyed watching him as he took a stroll down memory lane. There's just something about reconnecting with our "roots" in life, isn't there?

Perhaps the most interesting moments of reminiscing we had during our trip was visiting the graves of Tim's Lorenz and Geib grandparents...and great-grandparents. Now call me "unique," but I enjoy and appreciate the history we often find in family cemetaries. We learn so much about our roots...our ancestors...those people who have a very direct connection to our heritage and our present! In fact, one of my goals in life is to assemble family tree information for our children/grandchildren/great-grandchildren before I leave this world. I am always amazed to discover how God brought people from other parts of the world into our lives over many decades...which led to us being who and where we are today! That fascinates me.

For example, someday our children's children may ask about their family history, which involves people from Ohio, Virginia...and China. It already amazes me that our children are a direct result of a man who transferred from the University of Akron, OH....to a Christian College in Grayson, KY...who "just so happened" to meet a woman from Virginia who had already graduated from that Christian college...yet "just so happened" to find it necessary to return for one more major. Going back even further, there are people in the lives of our original families who are from Germany, Switzerland, Ireland and France. Add to that combination the fact that I have Cherokee roots in my family tree...and we have some very special ancestry. There are lots of "just so happens" in our lives, aren't there? But it doesn't really surprise me for God knew all along just how it would all take place. I am definitely amazed...but not surprised.

As I gazed upon the tombstones of Tim's ancestors, (and our children's ancestors), I thought about those dear people who lived many years ago. What would they think if they knew how their family had continued to live on in unexpected destinations, decisions and developments? Yet...without each of these ancestors, we would be different!

Of course, I couldn't help but think about our little one/s in China. We are so excited in our journey to our daughter/s. We pray. We dream. We work. We wonder. We love. And we try to imagine what it will be like to see, meet, hold and bring her/them home for the first time. But that will only be the beginning of life as she/they know it. Most likely, someday, our baby girl/s will have children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren who will wonder...how it all happened that someone from China came to America years ago, which changed their lives greatly, too. I hope there will be records and documents for them to see how it developed...and that they will cherish their Chinese and American heritages. Most importantly, I hope they will all know that IN GOD'S PERFECT PLAN, a man from Ohio met a woman from Virginia and they heard God's call to bring a precious child home from China to love and to join their family forever. I hope that each family member in our past, present and future realizes how valuable their life is to God...and how He works through each of us to touch countless other lives for Him.

I pray that each one reading this blog is reminded that as we share our heritages from so many people, locations, generations and choices, we are ultimately in HIS hands, HIS design, HIS purpose, HIS love and HIS will. May we each cherish the amazing journey He has directed for us in the past, present and future. What blessings we have been given!
Cherishing this incredible journey...past, present & future...
Terri & Family

Four Years in Process! 39 Months Since Log-In!

Time is certainly passing quickly this summer. But it seems like forever since we officially began the adoption process four years ago this month. However, we are so thankful that we are getting closer to our baby girl/s. As of July 13, we have been "Logged-In" China's system for thirty-nine months! Wow!!!

Although the wait time has more than doubled since we began our journey, we know that it will certainly be worth every moment once we see our sweet JennaBeth (EmmaKate?). It has been a very long road of waiting, updating, re-fingerprinting, wondering, praying and more waiting. But once our dear little one/s are with us, each moment will be priceless since it led us closer and closer to our baby girl/s.

Right now, our friends, Melanie and Ryan, are in China meeting and preparing to bring their sweet little Ally home with them. Melanie was Micah's Spanish teacher in high school for four years. They were logged-in not quite a year ahead of us. Now they are holding their baby girl in their arms! We have a renewed sense of excitement, joy and anticipation for we know we are not far from the wonderful day we meet our little daughter/s. So close....so very, very close!!!!

Hold on, dear JennaBeth/EmmaKate. We are so incredibly close to seeing you, meeting you, holding you and bringing you home. Of course, our hearts are already with you and you are definitely a precious part of our lives. Our love, prayers and thoughts are constantly with you. Hold on, sweetie/s. We're almost there!

To all of our loved ones, friends and angels along this journey, thank YOU for praying for our baby girls...and for our family as we draw nearer to her/them each day. You are a very special part of our journey and have made it much more bearable. We are blessed every step of the way by your love and assistance. May each step of your journey be richly blessed.
Cherishing each amazing step...
Terri & Family

Trip to Cincinnati....Accomplished....Again!!!

Today was another step forward to our precious JennaBeth (EmmaKate?) and I am happy to report that it went well. Tim, Rachel and I made yet another trip to the USCIS office in Cincinnati this morning to update our fingerprints again! I believe this was either our third or fourth trip for fingerprinting. And it was a peaceful and uneventful day!

Our appointments were at 10 am (Tim) and 11 am (Rachel and me). But we were all walking out of the USCIS office around 10:15 am...all finished! Yay! We didn't get lost going into the city. We didn't get lost leaving the city. It was a great day. We even had some good conversation with security guards at the Federal Building as well as one of the workers in the USCIS office. So we considered it a very productive and peaceful step toward our baby girl/s.

It never ceases to amaze me how God continues to take care of each step of this journey. There are always people who help us along the way as we find offices, complete documents, update, update and update some more. It is obvious that we are never alone in our journey. Thank you, God!

We often are asked how much longer this process will take. The answer is always, "We don't know." But...we do know that we are much closer to traveling to China than ever before. Much can change in the timing, but it is our guess that we may be on our way to our baby girl/s sometime next spring or summer. We contacted the agency in March of 2006, applied to adopt in July of 2006, sent our Dossier in March of 2007 and were logged in on April 13, 2007. Technically, we began this journey over four years ago and have been logged in over 39 months. So another year of waiting seems much closer to us than when we first began. :) We know God's timing, design and plan are much better than our own. So we wait...and trust...and update...and pray...and know that it will be worth it all when our little one/s are in our arms...and in our family forever!

Thank you for your continued prayers, love and encouragement. Thank you for joyfully anticipating the announcement and arrival of our little Jenna Elizabeth *Chinese Name* Lorenz (JennaBeth)....and perhaps even our little Emma Katherine *Chinese Name* Lorenz, (EmmaKate) too. The journey has been long...much longer than we anticipated. But it continues to be a tremendous Journey of Blessings every step of the way. We thank God for this opportunity that only He could have orchestrated, directed, provided and allowed. And we thank each of you as you walk beside us.

Hold on, little one/s. We made another step toward you today. Oh, how we love you and miss you. Daddy, Mommy, Rachel and Micah are so eager to welcome you home. But for now, as always, you are loved and cherished deeply in our hearts. What a blessed day it will be when you are home with us...forever!
Cherishing another step,
Terri & family

And Another Step Forward...To Cincy...Again!

There's another step forward planned in our journey to our little girl/s. Just today, we received word from USCIS (Homeland Security) that Tim, Rachel and I have appointments for re-fingerprinting! Every prayer concern we had was answered beautifully and abundantly.

First, our appointments are once again in the Cincinnati office! Yay!!! This is closer and much more familiar to us since all of our fingerprinting appointments have been at this office and not in Louisville. So we are very happy about that.

Second, it is on a day that will not interfere with any major scheduling conflicts such as vacation time, Tim's work schedule, other appointments, etc.. Rachel may have to adjust her work schedule a little that day but it should work out quite easily.

Third, our appointments are often very early in the morning. We usually have to leave home around 6 am to arrive there promptly. But this time our appointments allow us to leave a bit later than that. Yay! So we should miss the heavy Cincy morning traffic, as well as lunch hour traffic and evening traffic. We are so grateful!

We are confident that your prayers and the hand of God have provided yet another positive step in this journey. I can't imagine walking through this without God's love, provision, peace, assurance and perfect plan. Nor can I imagine walking through this without you, our dear family and friends who pray, care, encourage and love us through this amazing season of our lives.

We have been reminded so much lately that God's timing and design are much better than we ever realized. We are now the proud parents of a Kentucky Christian University Senior, (our daughter, Rachel), and a University of Kentucky Freshman, (our son, Micah). We are preparing for their moves to college this fall and while it is exciting, it is also a major adjustment for all of us. Yet, neither child will be more than two hours away from home and both will be visiting home regularly. (After all, dirty laundry does accumulate!) :) Yet, we will stay very busy between the time they leave for college and the time we go to China to meet our little daughter/s. I have lots of studying to do as well as lots of projects to complete here at home. We will visit our kiddos at the universities. And Tim and I will enjoy some time "recharging" as we prepare for "round two" of parenthood. :) It's an awesome journey!

So, Cincinnati, here we come....again. And JennaBeth, (EmmaKate?), we're taking one more major step toward bringing you home. Hold on, sweeties, we're closer than ever before! Meanwhile, know that Daddy & Mommy are getting so excited as we prepare for our journey to you in China as well as the journey when we will bring you home. We love you so much...and we will see you soon.

What a journey this has become. What faithful family and friends you are as you walk beside us with your love and prayers. What an awesome God who continues to provide and lead us toward our little daughter/s in China. This is truly...an indescribable Journey of Blessings!
Cherishing another step forward....
Terri & family ♥

Here We Go...Forward!

Life in the Lorenz home is never boring, that's for certain! For now, I just want to update you on a few details in our family. It means so much to know you all are always praying for our family, whether in the USA or PRC. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

The most exciting buzz in our home presently is Micah's pending graduation from high school. This week he brought home his cap, gown and Beta club attire to wear during the events and the reality is becoming more clear each moment. What happened to that little boy who used to play in the dirt, ride his tricycle and go to the grocery store with me while his sister was in elementary school? Obviously, he has grown up...very quickly. Next week, he will graduate with honors from Harrison County High School and we are so proud of him. It's hard to believe that he will be a freshman at the University of Kentucky this fall as he plans for a future as a Pharmacist. On top of this excitement is the recent news that Micah's Dad has been asked to speak at Baccalaureate. We are thrilled. Tim was also one of the speakers at our daughter Rachel's Baccalaureate three years ago. Now Micah's class recently voted for Tim to be one of the speakers this year, too. Time certainly doesn't stand still, although it sometimes appears to do so in the adoption process. :)

Rachel recently finished her junior year at Kentucky Christian University and received excellent grades in the mail yesterday. It is with great joy that I realize she will graduate from there next May. Where did the time go? It seems like just yesterday we moved here with a four year old daughter and a sixteen month old son...and they are both heading to college this fall. We are blessed...and grateful!

Today, Tim and I sent more paperwork (and fees!) to Homeland Security to update fingerprints for Rachel, Tim and me. Hopefully, this will be the last time we need to do this, although we know Micah will need to do so next summer. We are getting much closer to the reality of our baby girl/s coming home from China, too. We have been logged in over three years now...and officially in the process for almost four. Yes, the wait has been very long and challenging, but what a joy to know that we are getting so very close to the time we will see, meet and bring our JennaBeth (maybe EmmaKate?)home!

Will you please pray that the Homeland Security office will schedule our re-fingerprinting session once more at the Cincinnati office? We are becoming quite familiar with that location and would be so grateful if we are able to go there again. Will you please pray that the appointment will also work well with the work schedules here at home? We appreciate that so very much. I will, of course, keep you posted.

So, celebrations continue in our home. Congratulations, Micah on a wonderful school career and graduation. Congratulations, Tim, on being selected as one of the Baccalaureate speakers at HCHS. Congratulations, Rachel, on a very successful year at KCU. I am so proud of all of you. It is a joy, blessing and honor to be your Mom and Wife. I am also looking forward to the day I can bring our newest daughter/s home from China. Yes...here we go...forward and definitely blessed.

I thank my God for each of you, our dear family and friends, who are walking beside us and praying us through. You are amazing and very special to us. And I am celebrating the blessing of you in our lives, too. ♥
Cherishing the celebrations along the journey,
Terri & Family

Still Waiting and Even More Excited!

It is so hard to believe that it's been almost a month since I wrote my last post. Life has been exciting...and continues to grow even more thrilling. Since my last post, we have moved Rachel home from the university, celebrated Mother's Day, celebrated our twenty-sixth wedding anniversary, preparing for Tim's birthday tomorrow....and anticipating Micah's graduation next month. Wow! Life is so blessed!

We are also celebrating the referral of our friend, Melanie's, sweet daughter from China! Melanie and her husband, Ryan, are almost one year ahead of us in the adoption journey. Yesterday they received the referral of their daughter, Allyson Marie. We are so thrilled for them! They have been logged in over four years and now they are seeing pictures of their adorable daughter. Congratulations, Melanie and Ryan! Melanie is Micah's Spanish teacher and has been such an inspiration to us as we all wait for our baby girls. Now she is anticipating the trip to China this summer to bring Ally home. How awesome this time is for their family!!!

It is also an eye-opener for our family. You see, when people used to ask us if we had heard anything, we "gauged" our wait somewhat on Melanie and Ryan's wait. We always said, "Well, Micah's teacher hasn't heard anything and they are a year ahead of us." Now...that has changed in a beautiful way! Now we see the "light at the end of the tunnel" for Melanie and Ryan. NOW we see that we are quite possibly a year or less in our wait for our JennaBeth (and EmmaKate?). What a great "second wind" we now have as we continue our journey. It is a great time to celebrate for our friend and her family. It is a great encouragement for our family's journey, as well.

Hold on, baby girl/s. This is most likely our last summer without you at home. We are so excited and we have much to do to prepare for your arrival. Know that you are loved very, very much and you will be in our arms sooner than ever before. ♥

I am thankful for the joyful news for our friends. I am thankful that Ally will be in their arms in the next couple months. I am thankful for the journey that they have diligently endured to bring their little daughter home. I am thankful that we have been able to watch their joy (and patience) lead them to this wonderful moment in their lives. I am also very thankful for the precious people who have touched their lives in their adoption journey. What a beautiful family that will finally be together. Thank you, God!

I am also thankful for our dear friends, family and journey. I thank God for each of you daily. Will you please continue to pray for our baby girl/s...the dear mother who will bring our daughter/s into this world and make a tremendous sacrifice so that she/they will be able to join our family? Will you please thank God for the precious people in the agencies, government offices, doctors, notaries, orphanages, etc. who contribute greatly to this journey so selflessly? Will you pray for all the adoptive parents who travel this road...which is long, challenging and a true journey of faith? Will you pray for the precious babies who are waiting for their moms and dads to come to China for them? Thank you so much!

Each moment. Each gift. Each heartbeat. Each day. These are all gifts for which we are thankful. Cherish each step of your journey. May you be as blessed in your journey as you have blessed the steps in ours! Much love to all of you! ♥
Cherishing the blessings...
Terri & Family

Three Whole Years...And A High Chair? :)

As of April 13....five days ago, to be exact...we reached the milestone of being logged-in China's adoption system for THREE YEARS! That's a lonnnnnng time but it is also a huuuuuuge step closer to our baby girl/s. When July arrives in a few months, we will celebrate four years since we first submitted our application and began this journey of adopting our sweetie/s in China. The wait timeframe when we were logged-in was about eighteen months. It is now around four years. Yes...the wait has been extended quite a bit. But, our journey has continued, as well. Now we are beginning to see the "light at the end of the tunnel" and we know that our baby girl/s are closer to joining our family than ever before. Thank you, God!

So...in celebration of this amazing milestone, we did something special this weekend. Although our daughter and son's high chair was retired many years ago, someone gave us a precious used "Jenny Lynn" style wooden high chair long before we ever began considering the adoption process. (Notice the name? Jenny....as in my Grandmother Jenny who we are naming our JennaBeth after?) :) The high chair was about to be thrown away yet it was in great shape...and I couldn't bear to see it go "for some reason." When we brought it home, Tim asked me what we should do with it and we decided to put it in storage..."just in case." Well...I'm glad we did. Who knew why we would ever need it? Obviously God knew all along.

A few days ago, I mentioned to Tim that the next time he was working in the storage building, it would be nice to pull the high chair out. Yesterday, I looked up to see our 18 year old son carrying the high chair into our house. I also need to mention that he had an incredible smile on his face as he carried it inside!

The high chair has now been cleaned up and sits in our great room as a reminder of the little sweetheart/s God is working to bring home to us hopefully sometime next year. Each time I see it, I say a prayer for our JennaBeth/EmmaKate. It's been such a long journey but it's becoming more real each day that the time will truly come...when we bring her/them home.

I might also add that the chair is draped with a crocheted baby afghan from our first two babies' years. A precious little pair of baby Croc shoes are sitting on top of the afghan which our little sweetie/s' special Kentucky Ommie & Papa Ralph already gave her. The afghan represents the loving arms of God that continually surround our baby girl/s....and the baby Croc shoes represent each step of the journey that brings us closer to being together. What an amazing journey!

I know that before JennaBeth/EmmaKate arrive home, I will need to refinish the crib, chest of drawers and high chair. We have decided to go with a dark cherry finish instead of the lighter finish they presently have. Maybe that's one of my many projects to tackle next fall when our Rachel and Micah are BOTH in college. :') But for now, we celebrate three years of log-in, almost four years of the official journey...and a high chair sitting in our home.

Hold on, Baby Girl/s! Your high chair is waiting. (And we can always buy another one if we do receive twins!) Your blanket reminds us of God's love and protection and your shoes remind us of this journey's many wonderful steps toward you. My heart is overflowing with love, anticipation and gratitude for all the blessings along the way in bringing you home. For now, rest...in His arms, in our hearts...and in the joy of knowing that you are loved...forever. We are now YEARS closer to seeing you and holding you in our arms. Until that moment, we are loving you and holding you in our thoughts and hearts...constantly.

May God bless each friend, family member, minister, doctor, nurse, agency worker, government official, attorney, orphanage worker...and prayer-giver who walks along this journey of blessings with us. We thank God for you all!
Cherishing the beauty of each blessing....
Terri & family

Away...Yet Together!

What an incredible Easter weekend! It's one we will long remember! And we are so thankful for every reminder of love, hope, joy and New Beginnings.

This past Easter weekend could have been a very sad and lonely one. But it turned out anything but that! You see, this weekend was the first Easter we spent without our children since we became parents almost twenty-two years ago. It was different but the blessings along the way were amazing.

Our daughter, Rachel, spent the weekend at the University, as well as visited the congregation where her boyfriend serves as youth minister. She also left for Columbus, OH yesterday on a nursing clinical trip. Our son, Micah, worked Saturday and left yesterday morning at 6:30 am for New York City on his Senior Class trip. So that left Tim and me home...alone...but not.

We decided to spend those moments with one another as well as with dear friends and had an incredible time together. Although we love our children dearly and missed being together as a family, we realized something very important.

Yes, our daughter was at school and is now in Ohio. Our son is now in New York City. Our baby daughter/s are in China. Tim is now at work. And I am home with lots of work to be done. Yet...while we are all away from one another, we are very much together! While we are spread out among different states and even different countries, our love for one another knows no boundaries. Different locations have no influence on our family unit and our hearts remain very much together...always!

Of course, we look forward to the day when we are all together again. Yet we are so thrilled that even when life requires us being in different places at the same time, we still have a bond that never ends. (We also thank God for cell phones with texting!) :)

We certainly realize that our love and relationships with others rest in this same truth. We have loved ones all over the USA as well as in England, Australia and China. How awesome if we could be together more often. But what a joy it is to know that our love reaches all over the corners of this earth each moment. (Plus we still have email, Facebook, etc.) :) So...if we didn't get to see you over Easter weekend, please know that our hearts, thoughts and prayers are with you. If we didn't get to worship together, please know that we are all praising the same God no matter where we live. And if we aren't able to see one another often, that doesn't change the love we have for each of you.

Our precious JennaBeth/EmmaKate...I missed you greatly this weekend. I imagined how I would have dressed you for Easter Sunday. I imagined how the little Easter baskets would have been waiting for you Easter morning. I thought about the little pink bows I would have placed in your hair...and the pictures I would have taken of you before you walked into Church. I imagined what it would have been like to see you hunt for Easter eggs...and how fun it would have been to help clean the melted chocolate from your hands and face. But most of all, I thanked God for you, our baby girl/s in China on this Easter morning...and for the New Beginning we have with you in the near future. The time is coming soon when we will share life in a wonderful new way when you come home with us. But until that time, please know that you are loved, cherished, remembered, embraced and in our prayers each moment. Although you are presently in the PRC and we are in the USA, we are together...already...always. Rest, my sweet daughters. Rest for your Daddy and Mommy will travel to China and hold you, hug you, thank God for you and cherish our beginning as a Forever Family in every way. Until then, remember we may be away...but we remain very much together! I love you, sweetie/s. Until I hold you in my arms, I'm holding you...so very closely...in my heart. I love you, my dear little daughter/s.

Cherishing all those we love away...yet so close together,
Terri & family

It's Official...We're Approved By Homeland Security...Again!!

What a great day to go to the mailbox! Yes...after three and a half months of hard work, stressful deadlines, expensive fees, numerous appointments and other obstacles along the way, we received THE DOCUMENT we've waited for so very long!!

It is official!!! Our I-797C Homeland Security Application Extension has been APPROVED...again! For the next eighteen months, we are in good standing as we wait for our baby girl/s from China. Thank you, God!!!

This was, by far, the most difficult extension process yet. But we have been blessed in this journey again and we are thrilled! We're closer than ever before, (almost 36 months since our "Log-In" date), and the estimate now is that we may only have about one year left to wait. A year may sound like a LONG time to others...but after being in this process for almost four years, one more year sounds wonderful! Actually we began meeting with our agency four years ago this month so our journey has already been that long. We applied in July of 2006 and were logged-in on April 13, 2007. So it's been a very long journey...and it somehow feels like we're "coming around the bend" to see the final stretch before us.

I had to share this exciting news with you today. How wonderful to have something so positive to share with you after the long updating process! Once again, God has been faithful. You have been encouraging and supportive. And our journey to our little girl/s continues in the middle of tremendous blessings! Thank you for all your thoughts, prayers, encouragement and hope. You are such blessings!

To our dear, dear little JennaBeth/EmmaKate...I can only imagine how wonderful it will be to see you in another year or so. I can only imagine how exciting it will be to even see your picture/s for the first time when you are finally referred to us. I can only imagine the unspeakable joy we will know when we bring you home with us to live as a Forever Family. But I am not imagining the dancing I now hold in my heart for you this very moment. You are so very real to us and you have been loved for a very long time. You are so special...to your biological Mom who is giving you the opportunity to come home to us....to your caregivers there in China...to all the folks who are working so hard in PRC and USA to bring you home...to our family and friends here who can hardly wait to meet you...and to the God who knows you best and is designing every intricate detail for bringing us together. Please know that your Dad, Mom, Sister and Brother already consider you a major part of our family. We love you dearly...each day...each moment...each step of this journey. We are praying for you and all those who have already touched your life. Hold on, sweet baby girl/s. You're in our hearts, thoughts, prayers and lives. We simply need to bring you home. Until that day, I'm sending you all the love, hugs, kisses and joy that a Mom's heart holds for her child, which truly never ends. Rest, precious daughter/s. Rest in the love surrounding you, holding you, protecting you, providing for you and planning for you. Rest and know that we'll see you soon. I miss you, baby girl/s.
Cherishing the joy of our new daughter/s,
Terri & family

Another Trip to Cincinnati...Done!

Today was the day that Micah had to visit the USCIS office in Cincinnati. Since he turned eighteen years of age recently, Homeland Security required that his fingerprints be taken and filed before our Approval Extension could be issued. Since Rachel is home on Spring Break, Tim and I decided that he would take Micah to Cincy while I stayed home with Rachel. It was a blessed day.

Micah did great with the fingerprinting process. Plus, for the first time in the four trips we have taken to the USCIS office in Cincy, there were no incidents of getting lost entering or exiting the downtown area. Yay!!! This was exciting...especially since Tim, Rachel and I found ourselves heading to Indiana last time we were there. :) Tim was so thrilled about this that he assured me that when the three of us return to the USCIS office this summer for our updating appointments, he can get us in and out of the area without even using our printed directions. Now that's exciting! I am a bit directionally challenged...unless, of course, I am in a shopping mall or Walmart. But maybe there is hope for us since we're adjusting to Cincy. Just maybe we will be able to find our way around China, too! :) Thankfully, we will have guides with us there. Our agency has that already in place. Yay!!!

So...now we wait for the final official document from USCIS which will extend our approval for another eighteen months. HOPEFULLY, any further updates will not be necessary. Hopefully, we will have our sweetie/s home before then. But if not, we're still closer than ever before.

Thank you for your prayers...especially about Micah's trip to Cincinnati today. He and Tim arrived, met the appointment and were out of the office even before his official appointment time. What blessings they enjoyed. And we are thankful. We are also thankful for you and all of your encouragement in our journey. We will keep you posted as we continue to "hurry up and wait."

Hold on, dear JennaBeth/EmmaKate. Your big brother was fingerprinted today so that our trip to you is even more possible. We love you, sweet baby girl/s...and we continue to hold you in our hearts, thoughts, prayers and lives...forever. Rest sweetie/s, for the day will come when you will finally be with us...and we'll bring you home.

Cherishing another step and another day closer...
Terri & Family

Thirty-Five Months Since L.I.D.!

Although time seems to pass so quickly in every other area of life, our adoption journey continues to enrich our patience...and trust...and we are thankful. Thirty-five months ago last Saturday, our Dossier was logged-in China's system...and we are almost at the three-year mark of waiting since Log-In. We realize that the wait when we were logged-in was only eighteen months. So much has changed. But we also knew when we began this journey that the timeframe could fluctuate...and that has been the case. We also know that it's all in God's hands and we must trust that He knows what is best for our baby girl/s...and for our family. So we wait...and we celebrate that we are one day closer...now thirty-five months closer...to meeting our little one/s in China.

Sure, it's tough to wait this long. It's not easy to have a precious daughter (or two) half-way across the world and not know what she looks like, what her Chinese name is, where she lives, what she likes, etc.. But it's also amazing to know that the same God who holds us in His hands here also holds her in His hands there. So we wait...and we pray...and we love...and we are thankful for the hope we have today...and tomorrow.

Life remains busy in our home. Tim continues to work hard. Rachel is finishing up her spring semester of her junior year at the university. Micah is finishing up his senior year in high school. And I'm staying busier than ever with home, family, goals, etc.. We realize that each day is a reason to celebrate and we cherish the blessings of each day.

One week from today, we will take Micah to the USCIS office in Cincinnati for his fingerprinting with USCIS. After that, we should receive official word on the 36-Month-Update approval. Whew! What an adventure it has been this time!

We will keep you posted. We thank you for being a part of this long but very worthwhile journey. Thank you for your prayers for JennaBeth...(EmmaKate?)...and our family...as well as everyone who helps us along the way. It's a true joy to know we are not alone in this journey of blessings. Be a blessing...and be blessed.
Cherishing the blessings of each day,
Terri & family

Another Step Forward...toward Cincinnati!

We've heard it many times in our journey so far. "God's timing is always perfect." Although we believe it in our minds, it's sometimes difficult to grasp in our hearts...especially while we miss our baby girl/s so deeply. But we realize that this journey is all about trusting Him every step of the way. He led us to the blessing of adoption. He will lead us through the adoption process. And in His perfect timing and design, He will bring our sweet little girl/s home with us as a Forever Family. It's not always easy to "feel" but we know it is always in His hands...completely.

Such is the case of the latest 36 Month Update Homestudy and Approval. As we have shared with you recently, this has been the most difficult part of the journey so far. New USA regulations were extensive, challenging, demanding and on a limited time allotment for completion. Why? Due to a treaty agreement with other countries, the USA became a part of the "Hague Convention" which promotes more detailed background checks, etc. in order to further protect the lives and futures of the orphan children. It's an incredibly detailed and expensive process...but it is primarily for the benefit and well-being of the children. So we began our six-week process and were finally able to submit all the necessary paperwork and fees.

We soon received word from Homeland Security, also referred to as USCIS, that they had received our papers and would begin the process. Whew! What a relief it was to hear that. Then another letter arrived...unexpectedly. Although we had checked with our adoption agency about this specific concern, USCIS informed us that due to our son recently turning 18, he has to be fingerprinted BEFORE the 36 Month Update papers would be complete. (Our agency thought he would be required to go with the rest of us this summer when we are due refingerprinting appointments. We suspect this was yet another recent change in the new regulations.) So we immediately submitted the necessary form (and another fee!) to USCIS. Today we received word of Micah's scheduled appointment with the USCIS office in Cincinnati in a few weeks.

I will honestly tell you that at first, this was frustrating for us. Yet, we are beginning to believe that this may just be a blessing in disguise. Although our previous "Official Approval Document" expires on March 5, the time allowed for Micah's fingerprinting appointment may actually extend our new "Official Document of Approval" by a few weeks or more. That means that we may have even more time between now and the next required update...and that's a very good thing. Depending on our referral and time of travel to China, it could be a very close race of time which could or could not require yet another update in the next year or so. Pushing our expiration date ahead by a few weeks...could be a tremendous advantage in the long run. So in the middle of our "frustration," we have found that there just may be a wonderful blessing involved.

We had prayed that we would be sent to the USCIS office in Cincinnati instead of Louisville...simply because we are very familiar with the Cincy office. That is exactly where Micah is being sent. We have always had to leave our house around 5 am to arrive for early appointments there. (Yawn!) However, Micah's appointment is at 1:00 pm...so he can go to school, leave early and then return in time for work, if he is scheduled at the Pharmacy that day. So many blessings have already been given in this situation. We are very thankful.

Again I am reminded that even when we want something to go a certain way, God sees the big picture and His timing is much better than ours. The possibility of Micah's unexpected USCIS appointment may very well prove to be an incredible blessing after all. Once his fingerprints are electronically transferred to the USCIS office, we should be officially approved for another eighteen months. And the few weeks between our initial approval timeframe...and this later one may be quite important when the time comes to travel to meet and bring our baby girl/s home.

Many thanks to each of you as your continue to pray, encourage and share in the joy of this journey. We do not take your companionship, kindness and assistance for granted! Although our journey can be very frustrating at times, the joys and blessings far outweigh the stresses involved. We could never travel this journey of faith and provision without Him...or without you. Thank you!

Hold on, "JennaBeth" ("EmmaKate"?) We're one step closer to you...one day closer to you...and one more visit to Cincinnati closer to you. It's definitely worth it as we look forward to holding you in our arms and bringing you home. Until then, we're holding you in our hearts and trusting God to hug you closely and kiss your sweet little face/s for us. We love you, sweetie/s...and we thank God for you, our dear daughter/s in China.
Cherishing each step of the journey,
Terri & Family

Happy 100th Birthday, Grandma Jenny!

It's a very special day in our lives. One hundred years ago today, a baby girl was born in Craig County, Virginia on a hill just above the valley where my home Church building stood and continues to stand. It wasn't a fancy birth...yet a very blessed one. And a century later, her life and love continue to touch lives deeper than she could have ever imagined.

That baby girl grew up and gave birth to four children. One of her daughters gave birth to me. Yes, that lady born one hundred years ago today was my Grandma Jenny. Grandma never owned her own home. She never owned her own car. She never had a cell phone or a computer. She didn't attend college and never lived outside the Commonwealth of Virginia. Yet to this day, her life has blessed other lives for generations and will also affect a life halfway across the globe.

Grandma lived a humble life not only in her surroundings but in her heart. She loved...genuinely, unconditionally, generously and gracefully. Although her life brought both joys and heartaches, she never stopped loving. Although she worked diligently and sacrificially to make ends meet for her children, she did so unselfishly because of love. She once told me that even though others were sometimes unkind or unfair to her, she never stopped loving them because that's simply what she wanted to do. It didn't matter how they treated her. She chose to love...anyway. And that love in her heart continues to grow, encourage, inspire and enlighten lives...especially mine.

Halfway around the world, a little girl is born in China. We have not seen her. But we love her...dearly. We can hardly wait to bring her home into our Forever Family. She never knew my Grandma Jenny...but she will certainly learn all about her and each time her name is called, she will be reminded of that precious little girl born one hundred years ago. For Jenna Elizabeth (+ Chinese name) Lorenz will bear her name in honor of Grandma Jenny, her Great Grandmother. Her middle name, Elizabeth, will also be in honor of loved ones on both her Dad and Mom's sides who also bore that name. And "JennaBeth" will always know that much love, laughter and life were involved in the blessing of her life and her journey to us...for decades...even a century.

So Happy Birthday, Grandma Jenny. Although you moved to your Eternal Home almost nine years ago, we remember you...and your love...and your life. We thank God for you. We cherish each memory of you. We look forward to seeing you again someday. I know you always wanted to reach that "100" mark here but I'm sure your Heavenly celebration is beyond anything we can imagine. I can hardly wait to see you again someday. I miss you more than words can ever express. We look forward to telling your Great-Granddaughter all about you...and the love you lived so faithfully. Each day I thank God for the countless ways you touched my life forever...and I am so blessed to call you my Grandmother...and the namesake for our daughter. Remember our promise, Grandma..."I'll see you at the Gates." Happy 100th Birthday, Grandma Jenny. Your love, your life and your name live on!
Cherishing my Grandmother,
Terri & Family

More Good News!

We learned several days ago that our 36 Month Homestudy Update and our Application for Approval Extension were sent to Homeland Security on February 12. So everything finally arrived at the agency, (yay!) was assembled and sent from our agency to USCIS. What a relief! Seven weeks of grueling paper-chasing, appointments, hard work, fees and stress finally came together to meet the new Hague Convention Regulations...and now we wait.

Today we received notification from USCIS (Homeland Security) that they did indeed receive our paperwork and they are now processing it. That is definitely good news! The usual saying in the adoption world is "hurry up...and wait." That certainly applies to this journey. Hopefully we will receive the offical Approval/Extension document soon which will confirm our eligibility for another eighteen months. The only other project for this year will be having all four of us re-fingerprinted sometime in June. Other than being quite expensive and a very early morning trip to Cincinnati, (we hope it will be Cincy), it's usually a very peaceful process. (That is, if we don't get lost in downtown Cincy, as we have been known to do previously.)

So...the journey continues. To those who are unfamiliar with the adoption process, this may not seem monumental to you. But to those of us who are very familiar with the reality of each document, each passing day of waiting, each step forward...acquiring official documents, approval and extensions are reasons to celebrate! For now, we are extremely thrilled that this recent update, the most difficult season yet, has been compiled, sent, received and is now being processed. We're getting closer and closer to our little one/s in China. What a blessing!

Thank you for your continued prayers, assistance, companionship and encouragement as we progress further in this journey toward our "JennaBeth" (and maybe "EmmaKate.") As a dear friend recently shared with us, "this is one of the most difficult and frustrating experiences you will ever have. But it will also be one of the most rewarding experiences in your life." So true! Knowing our precious little daughter/s are waiting for us to bring her home makes all the challenges worthwhile. Climbing the mountains of paperwork...and crossing the ocean to meet her are the least we can do for our little daughter/s. For now, we wait...until another update is required...or until a referral arrives. (Let's pray the referral comes first!) We've been logged-in China's adoption system for Thirty-Four months now...and each step toward our sweetie/s is a tremendous blessing. Thank you...for blessing our journey in so many tremendous ways.

Hold on, sweet girl/s! Daddy, Mommy, Rachel and Micah are holding you in our hearts until we can hold you in our arms and bring you home! We love you, baby girl/s! Sweet dreams and may you feel the hand of God holding you until He brings us together...forever.
Cherishing each step forward...
Terri & Family

GREAT NEWS!!!

Here it comes...great, great news to share!!! We just received word from our social worker that the ONE LAST DOCUMENT has arrived at the agency! Yay!!! Now our Home Study report will be sent along with our I-171H application to Homeland Security. Then we should hopefully receive the "official word" that we have been approved once more for another eighteen months as we wait for our JennaBeth (EmmaKate?)! We are so very, very grateful for your prayers, encouragement, kindness and love as we have walked yet another portion of our journey. It's so much better having you walk beside us.

Hold on, dear little daughter/s! We are moving closer to you each day...and through each document. You are loved so very much and we can hardly wait to tell you about all the prayers, friends, love and efforts of so many people that joined together to help get you home!

Again, thanks to everyone for all you have done! Besides the long wait, this has been the most difficult part of the journey yet. But we have been blessed each step of the way with your presence, patience and perseverance. Thank you for being so faithful in our journey of blessings.
Cherishing another celebration in the journey,
Terri & Family

Urgent Prayers Needed Immediately!!

Hi everyone! All documents are complete...except THE ONE we mentioned last weekend. And the deadline is...THIS FRIDAY. However, that ONE document has not arrived yet. Tim called the out-of-state office today that needs to send that document...and it has not even been mailed yet!!!! (****silent scream****)

We were told that it would be mailed tomorrow, (Wednesday), and should arrive in Lexington by Friday! Have I mentioned how extremely important it is that we need that document by Friday at the latest????? (***sound of inhalers being used due to stress robbing my breath****)

We are praying and trusting God, who created the entire universe...as well as all of us....and our precious baby girl/s in China...to see us through this ONE LAST DOCUMENT's arrival at our agency. However, we would deeply appreciate your fervent prayers over the next few days!!!! We realize God has it all in His hands...but we also realize that some people do not work as efficiently as God does! :) The document has been processed and printed. It simply needs signed and sent!!!! (***silent screams continue***) Soooooo, we really, really need some extremely efficient work by that office and the USPS. Would you be so kind to pray that it all work together and that every document we have diligently worked on for the last six weeks, including this ONE LAST DOCUMENT, will be ready and sent to Homeland Security this Friday...ON TIME? It's extremely vital!!

Please pardon my stress. We have worked extremely long and hard to complete all of these documents recently. We have labored night and day to compile such important paperwork. It has required lots of help and patience from family, friends, medical professionals, office workers, etc....and it has been an incredibly expensive effort in multiple ways. We know it is all worth it. But to watch all this effort and expense be halted due to ONE DOCUMENT's late arrival is quite disheartening, to say the least. IF WE HAVE EVER NEEDED YOUR PRAYERS MORE THAN EVER, IT IS NOW!!!!! Please pray individually, with your family and friends, your Church families...as well as with anyone who will share this urgent prayer request. We're not simply concerned about the paperwork, expense, etc.. We are concerned about our little girl/s in China and making sure that we are doing everything possible to do what is required of us with the USA, PRC, Virginia, Ohio and Kentucky. Every moment counts...and every prayer is extremely important.

I will keep you posted as we continue this last segment of this race in our update. To be very honest, we are stressed beyond belief, weary beyond words and feeling enormous pressure to see this through. What a difference it makes to know that you are praying us through. God bless you all!!
Continuing the journey...under pressure! :)
Terri & Family

Prayers, Please! :)

It's a cold, snowy day in Kentucky and we are only a few days away from having all documents completed for our 36-Month Homestudy Update. It's been a stressful six weeks or so...but there has been definite progress. Your thoughts and prayers have certainly helped us get through this overwhelming part of the adoption process. Thank you so very, very much!

Would you be so kind to pray specificially for the ONE LAST DOCUMENT to arrive at our agency? This is a document that had to be sent out-of-state and we are now waiting for it in order to complete the homestudy. As I've written before, adoptive parents will tell you that there is usually that "ONE LAST DOCUMENT" that brings great stress because so much depends on it. Well, that's exactly where we are. This document has been the most challenging to complete and obtain...but we are anxiously waiting for it before the expiration date soon arrives. So please, please pray!!

Two other documents were also of concern but we now have those in our hands! Yay! I haven't made a complete count just yet, but I believe this homestudy update required somewhere around 36 to 40 separate documents/letters, etc.!!! So we're on the homestretch and will be extremely relieved when the last one is complete! It's been a challenging time with new regulations, less time to complete the tasks at hand and added pressures of the holidays, illness, etc.. BUT we are very thankful for the many ways so many precious people and prayers have brought us this far.

We know that each step of this journey brings us closer to our little girl/s and that God's timing will be so perfectly designed. I recently found a picture of a little sweetie from China in some literature and posted it on our desk. Her little arms are reached out as if to say, "I'm waiting for you" and she is precious! Each time we sit at our desk to work on more documents, emails, letters, etc., we look at her picture to remind ourselves that there is a tremendous blessing waiting in China and every moment we spend in paperwork, prayer, sleepless nights and hectic days is very worthwhile!

So...dear Jenna Elizabeth +Chinese name, aka "JennaBeth" (and maybe Emma Katherine +Chinese Name aka "EmmaKate"?)...we're getting closer each day and each document to holding you in our arms and bringing you home. We love you so much already and you are surrounded by the hearts, prayers and efforts of so many wonderful people. Hold on, baby girl/s! Our journey has been extremely long, but our hearts are already with you. This "paper trail" certainly brings us closer and closer to you, too. It will be such an incredible day to finally see you. And the joy of you joining our Forever Family will be far more precious than we can even imagine. Meanwhile, know that you are already in our hearts, family and lives. We simply must wait to bring you home!!!

Thank you, dear friends, family and everyone involved in our journey...for your prayers, encouragement, thoughts and kindness. Knowing you are walking beside us and praying us through makes all the difference. PLEASE keep praying for that ONE LAST DOCUMENT...and we'll keep you posted. You are such an amazing part of our journey of blessings!
Cherishing each step of the journey...
Terri & Family

33 Months of L.I.D. & Still Moving Forward!

Our hearts have been on such a rollercoaster ride lately...and I'm not even referring to our own adoption process...yet. To hear from the Colliers while they were in China, (they even sent the picture of them blowing kisses to our baby girl/s...which I'll post as soon as I get some direction!) and to see pictures of them in the PRC as well as when they arrived home...have been very exciting and encouraging. Their family is precious! Three biological sons and now three little daughters from China are tremendous blessings to this wonderful couple. Forrest and Robin are full of love, patience, generosity and joy. They truly reflect God's love in countless ways. It is a joy to see their family grow in number, love and outreach. What a wonderful message they are living and sharing with this world! Thanks Forrest, Robin, Andrew, Aaron, Stephen, Laura, Shiyan and Maria for shining so beautifully for Him! It is a blessing to know and love you all!

Meanwhile, our hearts have also been touched by the Haiti earthquake and the lives lost, touched and shared in that situation. As many of you know, our daughter, Rachel, spent about two weeks in Haiti last June on a mission trip. The pictures she brought back as well as the accounts of her experience moved our hearts deeply. To know that the cities she visited and people she served have all been affected deeply by this disaster is shocking. Yet we see people from all over the world sending assistance, rescue workers and supplies which proves there are definitely wonderful hearts and lives in this world! The outpouring OF so many TO so many brings us all back to the basics of the way it should be! Let us never lose sight of the importance of helping one another along this life.

I must admit that I wish I could travel to Haiti and bring back several precious children who need a forever family. My heart aches for those families in the middle of their adoption processes with Haiti. I pray the process will be accelerated so those sweet children can join their loving families very soon. They need one another more than ever! I know they would all appreciate our prayers!

As we well know by now, the adoption process is not one for the weary of heart or impatient temperaments. :) We continue to secure final documents for our 36-Month update. We have the majority of our documents and appointments complete. But, as adoptive parents know all too well, there are always those "last minute down-to-the-wire" papers we are hoping and praying will arrive each day! Please pray for those documents to arrive very, very soon since time is quickly running out in our rush to meet this deadline. There have been so many, many wonderful people helping us along in this journey. Each precious soul who has prayed, completed forms, written letters, notarized, etc. has been an incredible and vital part of making this possible. We are so thankful for each of you!

I want to share a bit of news with you. Yesterday our social worker, (another true angel sent from heaven!), visited our home to interview our son, meet with us, collect paperwork and do a "home tour" of our house for the homestudy requirements. Tim and I had previously discussed the possibility with her re: special needs options. Yesterday we confirmed that we are willing to parent healthy and/or mild special needs little girl/s from China. We have been praying about this for a very long time and now the door is open "just a bit wider" in this capacity. We know that at our ages, we could not assume care of any major special needs child. But there are so many little children with very mild and treatable needs and we feel led to open our hearts and family to what (and who!) God has in store. So please continue praying that in His perfect timing and design, God will lead us to the very specific little girl/s that He has already selected to join our family! Hold on, dear JennaBeth...(EmmaKate?)...we're moving closer and closer to you each day!

Yes...we're still moving forward...slowly but surely. It's been 33 months since we were logged in China's system and almost four years since we first applied to adopt. The wait is much longer than we ever anticipated...but the joy and love will definitely exceed every concern, frustration, moment and action involved in bringing our daughter/s home. May God bless you all as abundantly as you have blessed our lives along this journey! May we all move forward...and reach out to those who need our help to do so...as we all continue our journeys of blessings!
Cherishing each step in the journey...
Terri & Family

Still in Motion!!!

Christmas has come and gone. New's Year's also came and went. Micah's 18th birthday, (New Year's Eve), came and went way too fast. Rachel returned to school last weekend and Micah went back this past Monday. Our 2010 is off to a fast and furious start. One thing is for sure....there is never a dull moment in our home or lives!

Meanwhile, Micah has been a bit ill. Rachel changed rooms in the dorm, (and yes, we drove up there and helped her move.) We've had a pretty decent snowstorm this week. And...Tim's Dad had open heart surgery this morning. Thankfully, everyone seems to be doing ok and we are very grateful for that. As I told Tim earlier this week, it's a bit like those commercials on tv when the dog is barking, the children are yelling, the doorbell is ringing, the phone is also ringing, dinner is boiling over on the stove...and someone wishes "Calgon" would take them away.

But we don't want to go away...except to China! :) So we continue doing what has to be done in order to complete our 36-Month Homestudy in the next couple of weeks. And life is definitely still in motion! Are we stressed? Sure. Are we exhausted? Absolutely. Are we going in several directions at one time? Seems like it. But are we grateful for all the blessings? That's a definite YES!

As I type this entry, our dear friends are in China receiving their third daughter. Forrest was a friend in college and his wife, Robin, was my roommate. They are an incredible family. They have three biological sons who are wonderful young men. And their three daughters from China are precious, as well. As I read their blog each day, I am reminded so vividly just how worth it this journey is when we look at "the big picture." Although the last few weeks have been hectic, tiring and full of a mountain of documents, appointments and continuous running, it doesn't take long to realize that the reason behind all of our activity...is indeed worth every moment...and every step to our little sweetie/s in China.

Before Forrest and Robin left to receive their youngest daughter, I asked them to "blow a kiss" to our little one/s while there. I believe that Forrest and Robin planned to blow that kiss to our baby girl/s from the Great Wall of China. How amazing to know that our friends are now in our daughter/s' homeland...and have even thought of her during their very busy schedule. Somehow, it just makes our recent "mad rush" so worthwhile. For now we see papers, bills, to-do lists, etc.. But someday...we will see our little girl/s...and we will put our arms around her and bring her home to be a part of our family...forever!!! Now THAT'S worth it all!!

Please continue to pray for our sweet daughter/s in China, for our dear friends who are there right now, and for all that needs to be done in the coming weeks. We have had some documents coming in right on schedule while others have not. We have more appointments, meetings, interviews, expenses, a home tour with our social worker next weekend and more forms to prepare...just to name a "few" steps ahead. Would you please keep all of these in your thoughts and prayers? It is so overwhelming but possible with His help and your prayers!

We truly thank you for your prayers as our "marathon" continues. We are grateful for all the wonderful folks who are helping us along our journey: our doctors, nurses, notary people, social worker, agency advocate, bank employees, government office folks in OH, VA and KY, sheriff's office, attorney, Tim's employer and office workers there. There are also our friends, ministers, family members and other adoptive parents who keep encouraging us. Hearing your words of hope, kindness, understanding and support are priceless! From the bottom of our hearts, thank you so very, very much. Honestly, we are extremely tired and the road is not always easy...or inexpensive...or smooth..or quick. But it is always worth it! You are such a blessing to us along this journey and we thank God for shining through each of you. You share light along this path and as we see your smiling faces and hear your loving kindness...we know we aren't alone. Neither is our precious JennaBeth (EmmaKate?). May God bless you all as you touch many lives, including ours. May you be blessed as you continue being a blessing in this world.
Cherishing those lighting our journey,
Terri & Family