So much has happened since my last post. I want to share with you today some of the things that have been happening...some pertain to our adoption, and some don't. It is a LONG post, but please bear with me to the end, because you will hear some pretty amazing things as the post goes on:) Others that have gone through adoption will understand that the adoption process can be all consuming. I am trying to find a balance between all things adoption, and our "normal" every day life. One thing I did not want to happen at the beginning of this process was for our 4 baby girls to feel pushed aside. It is extremely hard to find balance when you are constantly being pulled in a thousand directions....every single day!
This past Tuesday we had Part 2 of our home study. Our adoption specialist came to our house to do a walk through and conduct individual interviews with both Ryan and me. I am kind of obsessive when it comes to people coming over to our house. Ok....a lot obsessive! It doesn't matter if someone is just going to peek in the front door, I feel like everything has to be clean and perfect. Needless to say, preparing for our adoption specialist to come critique our home to make sure it was adequate for adopting... about sent me over the edge! I am SO thankful that that part of this whole process is over! Our individual interviews and the walk through went great. Our adoption specialist has been so kind to work swiftly, knowing that we want to move this whole process along to bring our daughter home soon. She had our home study write up back to us by Wednesday night for review!! How amazing is that? For those of you in the Little Rock area...if you ever need to have a home study done, please contact me and I will give you the information for our adoption specialist. She really has been such a blessing and comfort through this process.
Thursday, I went on a field trip with my daughter Aislynn's pre-k class. Their class has been studying transportation, so we got to go on a trolley ride! We rode the trolley all around downtown, and got off at Heifer Village to take a tour and eat a picnic lunch. It was such a fun day...the weather was perfect and it was nice to spend some much needed quality time with my sweet girl. Here is a picture of us on the trolley:
Friday was another beautiful day, so the girls and I met some friends at the zoo. My children LOVE going to see all the animals. Their favorites are the penguins, elephants, and giraffes. No trip to the zoo would be complete without a train ride...which Aislynn pointed out is another form of transportation:) Our zoo recently did some renovations, and built a new playground area. The girls had fun playing on it. Below are pictures of Aislynn and Avalea on the train with friends, and my Arabella playing the bongo drums!
I had so much fun getting out and about with my girls this past week. We needed that time to step away from all the adoption tasks needing to get done just to enjoy life. Something that is becoming more and more evident to me though, is that it is getting harder and harder to go on with "normal" life. The absence of our 5th daughter grows stronger each day, and the desire to have her here....getting to do all these normal every day things..... is HUGE.
After spending Friday morning at the zoo, I came home to find an email from Miss A waiting for me:) It is such a thrill each and every time I get an email from her. Ryan and I had our usual phone conversation with her at 3:45 Saturday morning. I love finding out new things about her each and every time we talk. This week, she told us that she loves to play volleyball and that she wants to be a professional volleyball player!! I am so looking forward to taking her to some Volleyball games when she gets here.
Friday night, before I went to sleep I did a quick online search about Ukrainian hosting programs for orphans. One of my hopes through all of this, is to bring greater attention to older child and teenage adoptions. I am hoping to get a strong hosting program in our area started in the future. So, I was doing a little research, and found a blog by a woman who advocates for Ukrainian Orphans, and assists in hosting programs for them. I decided to send her an email just to make a connection. I am SO glad I did!! I really feel that the Lord prompted me to reach out to her, because it turns out that she knows A!!! She works with A's specific orphanage for hosting programs, and has met our sweet girl and spent time with her in Ukraine. She even has pictures of her! How awesome is this? A complete stranger that I *seemingly* randomly decided to email would know my girl?? I just have to acknowledge that the Lord had a hand in this. This is what my new friend had to say about A, " she is so sweet and has the cutest giggle. She wants to be adopted more than anyone I think. She is very much a girl and has big dreams". How absolutely precious is that? I mean, how great is our God, that He would use a perfect stranger to give me more positive confirmation about our daughter? I think anyone pursuing an older child for adoption has questions about how they will react to your family, how their past experiences have shaped them, and what problems they will have because of those experiences. I know I have had those questions, and it is so reassuring to hear from someone else that has that our daughter is kind and loving. Not that I was second guessing this, but it is still comforting to hear from other people how wonderful she is:)
Ryan and I try to do something fun with our girls each Saturday for a special treat. This Saturday we decided to take them to build a bear. Aislynn and Avalea already have bears that they ADORE. So we thought it would be fun to go get Arabella one and to let Aislynn and Avalea get some new accessories for their bears. The girls wanted to make one for A for us to take to her on our first visit to see her. Adalaise will get her very own bear when she is old enough to pick it out:) Here are some pictures of our trip to build a bear:
Arabella picked out a flower printed bunny, named "Roo Bunny"
Aislynn and Avalea overseeing the stuffing of A's bear
The girls giving the bears a bath
Here they are with their bears! Aislynn is holding her and A's bears.
I read Jesus Calling every morning for a quick devotional. Friday was the day that I reached out to a complete stranger and found out that she has a connection to A. Here is an excerpt from my reading Friday:
"There is immense hidden treasure to be found through listening to Me. Though I pour out blessings upon you always, some of My richest blessings have to be actively sought. I love to reveal Myself to you, and your seeking heart opens you up to receive more of My disclosure. Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you shall find; knock and the door will be opened to you" Matthew 7:7
Does that not give you chills?? Had I not sought out this stranger, and sent her an email (which is not something I would normally do!), I would have missed out on such an amazing blessing. I would encourage you all...that if you feel a prompting from the Lord...do whatever it is that He is prompting you to do! You never know what treasures you could be missing out on. God continues to reveal Himself to me in more ways than I could have thought possible through this process. I pray He will use this journey to reveal Himself to others as well!
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