God chose Mary

Kaleb and I were reading our Bible lesson yesterday morning and what he read out loud struck me:

"Jesus was born into a very special family. Mary, his mother, was chosen by God."

I guess I always knew this, but thinking like an adoptive mother, the meaning of it all really hit me. I'm not saying that I am Mary, and am not equating my situation to that of Mary's, but it made me think . . .

"God chose me to be the mother of a very special little girl in Korea, and He chose her to be a part of our family."

This revelation made me think of Joseph's relationship to Jesus. God was Jesus' father, and yet Joseph loved him just like a father would. Amazing isn't it?! God didn't wait until Mary and Joseph had been married and concieved a child together, and then say "this child within you is Jesus, the Son of God."(that wouldn't have worked, but you get the point) He designed it all as an Adoption story.

So when my little brown-eyed beauty begins to ask me all the questions about her birth family, why we decided to adopt and how she came to be "ours" I will refer to this story and tell her "God picked us all out like flowers, put us in a vase, which is our family, and He is the water that keeps us growing, together."

Memorial Box Wednesday

Linn, and many of her bloggy friends, host Memorial Box Monday and Thankful Thursday. So Monday I had Thankful Monday and today I'm having Memorial Box Wednesday. I'm all mixed up . . . but you all get the point, thankfully. I don't think I have done a Memorial Box Monday post yet, because I don't actually have a Memorial Box to remember from. In light of that, I will explain what a "Memorial Box" is and why I chose to write about it today. A Memorial Box is really anything that holds reminders of God's faithfulness. Linn has had her Memorial Box for many years and has inspirational story after heart-warming story of God's wonderful faithfulness. Like I said, I don't have a box, but if I did, there would be something in there reminding me of this story.

Since the beginning of our Adoption process I learned that when you get your referral, you have about 24-48 hours to review the information and decide whether to accept or deny. During that period, you are to contact your Doctor, send him/her all the medical information and then they are to review the medical issues (if any). You then decide if this is the little one meant to be in your family. (For the record, I don't know if I could say "no")

I love our family Doctor and he has been a perfect fit for our needs. However, he's not the one that I would look to for a review of our referral. When we went in for our physicals he asked what we were doing this for and I told him. He isn't even familiar with Adoption, nonetheless International Adoption. So for months I researched, asked other Adoptive families and obsessed that there would be no one to review our baby' file. I ended up finding some contacts but they were either very expensive and couldn't guarantee a timeframe. It was something that was on my mind alot. Not to mention in my prayers alot.

Well about a month ago, a gentle whisper told me "why don't you email that couple, from your training class?" This particular couple are both Family Physicians, and have twin girls from Korea and had just had their baby boy escorted about a week before we met them. Hmmm . . International Adoption experience . . . with Korea! I was also on this, what if twins were offered and we were #1, kick so, I decided to email them, ask about their twins and see if they wouldn't mind reviewing our referral when we were blessed with one. He was the nicest and most awsome man. He told me that they were actually #3 or 4 when they got the call for their twin girls. The other families ahead of them passed. And then said that he and his wife would LOVE to look at our referral and actually he's a consult for our agency!! I was giddy for a good week!!! Everything with this process has been blessed by the hands of God and I am in awe! He's also relatively close (about 40 miles) and if I feel the need, I could take our baby girl there for check-up's and such. It was just too awesome of a story to not tell. (I'll have to share my what-if-twins' story later, it's a pretty good one too!) God is GOOD . . . all the time.

Thankful Monday

First of all, we are now #8! Other waiting Mom's, that are closer, have said after you are #10 it really tends to go fast. I'm so thankful they're right! A couple with our agency that has been on hold for a while finally got their referral on Friday! HUGE Congrats to them!!!

Then, this morning our SW called with a couple of questions about our Homestudy - which is a really good sign towards completion! God is faithful! The next step is reviewing our HS and then it gets sent to our agency. It then gets sent to the State (CO) and then off to Korea. If I understand it right, our agency usually sends the HS off to Korea very close to our expected referral. I am so thankful.

This weekend, my sister-in-law and brother came home for his birthday. It was so great to see the both of them. They don't live far, but it was great to be together and laugh. They both are such awesome people and I am so thaknkful for the time spent with them.

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I absolutlely LOVE our church. Our Pastor was the vehicle who started the "Adoption Ball" rolling with us. He has a little girl from China and is adopting again through Haiti. Like I've mentioned before, Chad had the desire to adopt a few months after we lost the baby, and I wasn't really on board. I had alot of " soul searching" to do. I then caught on, and God really spoke to my heart. Pastor K had a series of messages (three, actually) that really tugged on me. After the third one, Chad and I looked at each other and we both knew it was time. God was calling both of us to adopt.

At about that time, an Adoption Ministry was beginning to take root. (How divine is that?!) We started meeting some really cool couples. They have Adoption support meetings every month, and we've made just one. We live 40 miles away and they sometimes coincide with Kaleb's Pack Meetings. We have couples adopting from China, Haiti, Domestic and some Foster-to-Adopt. We are the only family adopting from Korea, though. I'm really trying to spread the word! Anyways, our church has a goal to adopt 100 children before December 2010. This past weekend was #1! A couple adopted a beautiful baby boy via domestic. And another couple is very close to getting their baby as well. They are both through the same agency in Salt Lake. Once their file opens it takes about 2-4 weeks to get their little one!

I think it is so great to have a Pastor that has a heart for Orphans. We've been with our church for over 10 years and I have never seen such a movement to reach out to children like this. I believe there are over 60 couples involved with the Adoption Ministry and are somewhere in the process. Not to mention the many couples that have already adopted and make up an AWESOME support system. I am so thankful.

Single Digits!

That's right we are now #9! I can't believe it! No news on our Homestudy, our SW hasn't called to have us review it yet. But I have a feeling it will be soon. Well . . . it HAS to be soon, because we're moving up little by little!

SO EXCITING!

The Dentist

Today I took my youngest, A, to get two root canals and a filling. I know, I know "Mother of the Year." The bad thing is that I literally grew up in a Dentist's Office, and to date I have not one filling. I know better! My Mom was a Dental Assistant for over 20 years and her Mom (my Nana) was one for over 30 years!! Talk about denying your youth! My oldest K, had (just) one root canal three years prior, you would think I would have learned then, but I didn't. So needless to say we are "on the books" for the next 10-14 years with regular appointments.

Not only was it hard to see my little guy sitting in the Dental Chair with a Nitrous mask on his nose, but it was also REALLY EXPENSIVE! Like I said before, I know better, and with anything early detection is the key.

He did AWESOME, no apprehension, and took it like a trooper . . . until his lip and tongue started to wake up. Talked him through the creepy-tingling feeling, gave him some Tylenol and he was good-to-go. So, he now has some great bling-bling to match Bubba's (big brother). Good thing they are not right in the front (they're molars) and they're in his baby teeth, which he will loose (whew!) We're going to take extra good care of those permanents, once they come in. K (our oldest) had a great appointment and has NO cavities (hallelujah!) We are avid brushers, but that's no excuse, and we will be going every six-months. Lesson learned. Late. But there is still hope for those permanent teeth!!

Lucky #10!

We have moved up one more spot on the girl's list!!!! We are finally #10! It is single digits from here on out! This is the number that we are supposed to start our Homestudy, but that is already completed, well . . . for the most part. We haven't heard from our SW to have us review it yet, but all of our info is in, and all of our visits are finished. So, in essence, we are ahead. We will see . . . some families in our Yahoo group have had their HS questioned by the state. Things like "what is the make and model of the car they drive?" and "do they have any guns and if so, are they locked up and in a safe place?" - I can see the point of the gun issue but, the one that gets me is "do they have any dogs, and if so, what is the breed?"

Either way, we have left our HS, and all of it's contents in the hands of our Heavenly Father, and He will take care of it all. This I know, and have faith in.