Adoption Talk Link-Up: Oh, HEY, March!

What in the ACTUAL world...how it is already March?!? And March 3rd at that?!!

Today, I'm joining up with the Adoption Talk Link-Up, and the prompt simply says "Anything Goes," so that's pretty fitting for this post because the things I wanted to share with you today are somewhat adoption-related, but there's no real Earth-shattering news yet. (Oh, I wish there was!) We are just waiting...it's just part of all of this...but I'm choosing to share today about some fun little ways God has reminded me He's still there when there is so little action. 

First off, let's revisit our timeline since it's been a while since I participated in a link-up!

We began our adoption process on August 10, 2015.

We got our home study approval on November 17, 2015.

We received our I800A approval on January 8, 2016.

And the latest additions to that timeline...

Our agency sent our completed dossier to China on February 12, 2016.

The CCCWA logged us into their system on February 19, 2016.

So, we've been eligible to be matched for roughly three weeks now. Since we are electing to only look at baby boy files, our agency thinks we will be matched within the next three months. (That's basically lightning speed in the adoption world for those of you who are unfamiliar...) We could get "the call" tomorrow, it could be another 8-9 weeks...we truly don't know. So, we'll just keep on doing the next right thing...

When I was about 15, I picked up a little book in the book store called "God Winks." (Or something like that...) I remember the premise was basically stories of how people felt gentle reminders and confirmations that God was truly looking out for them. Basically, they were stories of coincidences that were no coincidence at all. Over the last few weeks, I've experienced SEVERAL "God winks" that I thought would be a fun share today. 

About two weeks ago, I got a random Facebook message from a girl that I didn't know at all. I would normally decline a message like that, but we had several mutual friends, so I figured she wasn't a creeper. (Her picture was also very promising.) I opened it up to find a message from a girl who wanted to see if we had any interest in meeting because she and her husband were also in the process of adopting from China and she lived in our neighborhood. (Um, YES!) Well, come to find out, they also have two biological children who are both within a few months in age of my kids, we are the exact same age, we have mutual friends from MANY stages of life, and are both at the EXACT same point in the process...waiting on a referral. And to top it all off, our oldest boys got along GREAT! 

If that's not a "God wink," then I don't know what is!

What a gift it will be for ALL of our children to grow up close to a family with whom they can identify. One of my (many) things I've been researching as of late is how to navigate the transition to a trans-racial family. The stares, the comments, the questions...I just don't really know how we are going to handle all of that. And when Carter or Kate's friends want to tell them that their brother isn't their "real" brother or ask why he doesn't look like us, how am I going to respond? I know God will equip me with the right words when that time comes, but it is a genuine concern of mine. I'm not really concerned for me and my husband...we've got pretty thick skin. I'm more concerned for Carter and Kate's hearts, especially as they move into elementary school where kids can be just downright mean at times. (If you've got any wisdom here, share it, please!) What a gift it will be to grow up with a family that looks like ours just down the street! 

A few days later, I nervously launched my Noonday Collection business with a full house of people and placed more than 20 orders in 24 hours. I was basically on my knees the hour before the party started because I was so afraid that no one would show up and I would fail. But, WOW. Never in my wildest dreams would I have expected a turn out like that. Sales is not even CLOSE to my comfort zone, and this whole business venture has been in God's hands since I said yes. Man, did He wink at that. ;) What a huge blessing that day was for me, our adoption expenses, AND the artisan businesses who make everything. Such a win-win all around. I am so excited for the future with this organization!

OH! One last thing! One of my FAVORITE things about becoming a Noonday Ambassador is that I get to pay it forward and help OTHER adopting families raise funds, too! I would LOVE to bless another adopting family by hosting a trunk show in their honor. They will receive 10% of the sales total to use for their adoption. If you know anyone who is in the adoption process and looking for fundraising ideas, send 'em my way! 

Wishing you all a very happy Friday Eve! XO!

  

Adoption Talk Link-Up

Happy Friday Eve, friends!!

So, today, I am soooooo excited to be joining an Adoption Talk link-up for the first time now that we are on the road to becoming an adoptive family...thank the Lord, the paper chase is just days from over! Hallelujah!

The prompt for today was "Memories," so I thought I'd take a little walk down memory lane and share a little bit more of how we got here since we are basically now at the one year anniversary of feeling the call to adoption.

In August 2013, we welcomed our second child, Kate, into our family. She was beautiful and an answered prayer, but she had a very rough start to life. We endured colic, a milk allergy, Torticollis, physical therapy, reflux, and basically ran the whole gamut of what could cause your baby to be...well, difficult. When people asked us whether or not we were "done" with kids, it was an emphatic YES. We were done with a capital D.  (I'm sure God was laughing up there every time we answered that question...)

We had some family pictures taken just after her first birthday by my amazingly talented friend, Kristin. When we got the CD back, I suddenly felt this very clear message that our family was not yet complete. Every picture seemed to be missing something. This feeling scared the absolute CR*P out of me, so I ignored it and pushed it away for several months. We said we were DONE, didn't we?!

Fast forward to January of 2015 where I became downright obsessed with a friend's journey adopting a little girl from China. I mean OB.SESSED. Adoption had always been something that fascinated me, but I had always thought of it as a "Plan B." I didn't need a Plan B, I thought. I can get pregnant easily and already have two very young kiddos...why am I so consumed by this? I cried over her pictures, read her blog posts incessantly, and just fell in love with the idea of adoption. My husband finally asked what I was so emotional about one night when he walked into our bedroom and saw me crying while reading her blog (AGAIN) on my phone.

Everything I had been feeling over the last three months just came spilling out of me like a volcanic eruption. I literally just blurted through tears, "I think God has been telling me we are supposed to adopt. Do you hate me?!"

My husband laughed, and although he was visibly thrown by the serious curveball I had just thrown, he hugged me, and we talked for a long time. He agreed to pray, and we didn't talk about it for quite some time. Several months later, we both fully committed to this road and growing our family after hearing from an absolutely amazing family at church who was very active in the foster care and adoption system in Texas. We knew this was our path.

When we said yes to adoption for our family, our daughter was not even two, so we waited for quite some time before pulling the trigger and submitting the application. In the mean time, we saved like crazy, did lots of research, and talked to as many adoptive families as humanly possible. After much research, prayer, and wise counsel, we agreed that the China Waiting Child Program was our best fit. You can read our story of why we chose China HERE. We applied to adopt just after Kate turned two, and you can see our announcement HERE.

After many months of paper chasing, we are now just days away from having our dossier in China and (hopefully) getting closer every day to that referral call. The waiting has been hard, but we know that this is a season and that things will happen when they are meant to happen.

It's been quite a ride it's been so far...and in so many ways, it hasn't even truly begun! We are so hopeful that 2016 is the year we will meet our son.

Thanks for joining us on this wild journey!