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