It's Christmastime...& Adoption Update Time...& Family Time, Etc.

Stating that it is a busy time of the year is a true understatement in our lives right now. It's Christmastime...and Adoption Update time...and family time...and shopping time and baking time and wrapping time and family illness time and..well, you get the picture. It's been a very stressful time in our home for the past couple of weeks but we're doing the best we can and counting our blessings along the way.

Are we done with our shopping? No. Are we done wrapping packages? Haven't even started. Are we done with the baking? Only about halfway there. Decorated the house? Finished this afternoon. Rested, relaxed and ready to enjoy the season? No, no and trying. Tim and I have been working very hard to get as much paperwork done and sent out before the holidays so it will be "in motion" and hopefully returning to us before the impending deadline for our homestudy update. There's still MUCH to do...but we're slowly making progress. When we're not working on adoption papers, we're picking up this or that for Christmas, grocery needs, running errands, etc.. Before moving here years ago, we had three weeks between Tim accepting his new job and finding a place to live, pack up the house and two children...and relocate...all around Christmastime. I honestly believe this season has been more demanding and stressful than the one involving a major move.

So...why are we wearing ourselves out and "burning the candle at both ends?" I ask myself that each day and feel so guilty because it's not the Hallmark setting I'd imagined. As our children often do...our daughter and son answered that question for us quite clearly this weekend. Tim and I had spent hours working on documents while trying to make holiday plans for our family. I was feeling quite guilty for not spending time with our children as much as we wanted. So I apologized to our children for the delay in our family time. Our daughter kindly responded with understanding and kindness and offered to help with household chores, which meant so much to us. Then our son said, "Mom, you're not taking time AWAY from the family. You're working FOR our family." Wow! Sure, they realize that it is Christmas and staying in Mom and Dad's good graces is advantageous. :) But Tim and I were moved by the love, patience and support our children geniunely extended as they watched a flurry of papers, mail, phone calls, emails and lists take over our household. They realized that this challenging time is not without an incredible blessing down the road. They know that their little sister continues to wait to come home from China...and they are willing to do/sacrifice whatever it takes to ensure that she is able to come home as soon as possible. Pretty amazing children, aren't they? We think so!

So...it IS Christmas....and although we have had to make some pretty interesting sacrifices to accomplish the goals before us, we are taking time to be thankful for our precious children who care, understand and are willing to share their parents with vital paperwork and deadlines. We are thankful for the folks in attorney offices, post offices, banks, government offices, doctor offices and sheriff offices as they help us put together information needed. We thankful for our adoption agency who listens to our many questions and helps us try to find answers. We are thankful for dear friends who make phone calls to check on us and encourage us to hold on in this journey. We are thankful for grandparents and relatives who understand the challenges we are dealing with and who unselfishly encourage us to keep moving forward in this journey. We are thankful for ministers who pray and each individual who offers strength and hope when we are exhausted. We are truly blessed and we are deeply grateful.

Although I don't feel as peaceful or prepared for Christmas this year as I had hoped, I believe I have already seen the spirit of Christmas in unexpected ways. To each person who has touched our hearts in our frantic "pace of panic" recently...we've seen kindness, hope, encouragement, peace, understanding and compassion along the way. We have seen Christmas...in ways that cannot be packaged but will always be cherished.

This year, as I gaze into the skies and remember two very overwhelmed parents who traveled a long way full of obstacles and concerns before the arrival of their precious Child...I will also thank God for those who made room for us in their schedules, offices, hearts and lives as we await the arrival of our daughter. I may not be ready for lots of Christmas details this year. But my heart has been stirred by the ways Christmas was shared with us in ways we never imagined. We won't forget the true spirit of love, sacrifice, kindness and hope each of you shared with us. Thank you...from the bottom of our hearts.

Merry Christmas to each of you. Many blessings in 2010 for you, too. May you experience the true spirit of Christmas every day.

And JennaBeth, (Emma Kate?)....Merry Christmas, sweetie/s. Oh, how you are loved...and missed...and so worth every step of our journey. May you always know that many people worked together to bring you home. And may you always know the true spirit of love that so many people have shared in our lives...to touch yours forever.
Cherishing the blessings of Christmas, Family, Adoption...and Life,
Terri & family