Ladybugs everywhere!

Just days before we began our adoption process, my husband called me outside. "Come look at THIS!!!" I found him on the front porch, and our house was COVERED in hundreds of ladybugs!! I had to LAUGH because I had recently heard that a ladybug was a symbol of "good luck" in China. And in Asian adoptions, it is believed that a ladybug is a sign of an upcoming referral (being matched with your child). So, the hundreds of ladybugs all over our house made me smile and then laugh out loud. God never ceases to make me smile! Just a couple of days later, we began our process to bring Grace home.

We aren't into "luck and symbols," but ladybugs have become a very fun part of our lives! :) It seems everywhere we turn, there's a ladybug. We are decorating the girls' room in pink and green and hints of red. And I found the sweetest ladybug blanket that has all 3 colors...it's sitting pretty on Grace's bed. I will take pictures at some point when my sweet husband is done using my camera for his latest adventure. :)

Anyway, I wanted to share some pictures of this really fun card that my mom and dad sent last week. It's a ladybug, and the wings pop open. And LOOKIE who is inside the ladybug! Yep, our Grace! On the back of her picture, it says, "Grace, granddaughter of Mamabella and Grandpa Jerry." How precious is that? It warmed my heart! Did I ever mention that I have great parents??! We have great support from so many people. Grace is blessed with a wonderful group of friends and family! :)

Grace's Daddy

This blog is "ours," but because I'm the one who writes this, it is my thoughts you hear. So many adoption blogs are done by moms because we're typically the ones who tend to talk, talk, talk about our adoption journey. :) But there's another side that I wanted to take a moment to highlight.

Grace's Daddy is very excitedly awaiting her arrival. He has rearranged car seats, painted the girls' room, worked extra hours to put more towards our adoption, learned sign language to help communicate with his new daughter, listened to Chinese lullabies during dinner (when he could have easily had his choice of music), and even pulled an all-nighter one night to declutter living spaces to make life a bit less chaotic for Grace (and then left for work with no sleep under his belt...never complained a bit!).

One day at the beginning of our adoption journey, he found himself spending his only "free day" laying a cement pad around our well (something environmental health needed us to do before passing our adoption paperwork inspection for our well). That day I took him lunch down by the well so that he could eat and keep working. I said, "How are you doing?" I knew full well that he'd rather be using his free day to do any number of projects around our property, but he surprised me with, "I just keep seeing her face in my mind, and that makes it all worth the inconvenience of this work." My heart melted.

That Daddy loves his Grace! She already has him wrapped around her little finger, and she hasn't even laid eyes on him! :) He's already picturing himself playing his guitar for her while she be-bops and jingles her little streamers with bells (her caretakers say that she LOVES music class, so we bought her a beginning "instrument").

Grace's Daddy would do anything for her. He is anticipating the day we pick her up. He has plans to video her city so that she will always have it. He's a good Daddy. And just to think...just one year ago, he couldn't have pictured himself adopting. It goes to show what happens when God grabs ahold of a life and says, "Will you GO for me?" And we say, "Yes, Lord, send me."

Celebrating Grace's birthday!

Here are some photos from Grace's birthday celebration. We planned it so that when she woke up for her birthday, we were eating Chinese food celebrating her special day. It was a fun way to "connect" us to her. One of the things we ordered was a noodle dish because noodles are one of her favorite foods. :) We propped her photo album up on our table so that she could "be with us." :) The next day, which was her birth date in America, we celebrated with a birthday cake and presents. It was bittersweet...we loved celebrating her precious life, and yet we wished she were here to celebrate with us. Neat memories to add to her lifebook...

Grace is coming home!!!

Well, last night we got "the call!!" Our court ruling was in, and Grace is ours!!!!! Travel will be in August!! All praise goes to our Heavenly Father who hand-carried our paperwork through the process. We stand in awe of His grace and our little Grace!

Pics of Grace's birthday "party" here at home will be posted soon. :) I'm having keyboard issues, so typing is a huge challenge. Hence, the short message. :)

What do I do when I'm missing Grace??

Well, tonight, I did laundry! HER CLOTHES! We've had some outfits given to us, and we've bought a few things too. We had left all the tags on them, waiting for the right time to wash everything and put it into dresser drawers. But tonight that maternal instinct was so strong that I HAD to do something for Grace. So, I gathered up all her clothes and washed them, folded them and...well, I couldn't actually put them into drawers because we're in the midst of painting her room...but just look at the basket of pretty baby girl clothes! :) I never think of laundry as a wonderful blessing, but tonight it was. A Mama's heart is a mysterious thing!

Mid-month photos

Well, technically, it's not mid-month anymore. Pictures ran late this month, but they did arrive yesterday. They tugged at my Mama heart, and plunged me into more prayer for this precious little girl. When I look at her pictures, I see my daughter...and she doesn't have her Mama there to do so many things that a Mama should do. Needless to say, seeing these pictures made for an emotional day for me. But, I am thankful for this monthly window into her world. It's just sometimes unbearably hard not to be able to climb into the photos and enter her world in the way that only a Mama can do. Please continue to pray her HOME!!!

We received word this morning that the orphanage did receive Grace's birthday gift from us. They will give it to her soon. That warms my heart.

Walking out our faith

From the beginning of this journey, we have received so much support from so many people. Some people we know, and others we do not. Some donations have been sent directly to us, and others have been given anonymously through Reece's Rainbow. We have been absolutely BLESSED by so many people, and I wanted to take a moment to THANK YOU...each and every one of you!

And let me share with you a story of faith. We stepped onto this road last October, as God led us to adopt Grace. We did not have a savings account specified for adoption, and yet we committed to adopt her. Some may call that irresponsible. We call it "crazy faith!" :) It was one of those moments when the "rubber meets the road" in our spiritual walk. We believed that God provides for those who love and obey Him...we could quote Scriptures about God's faithfulness...we could sing songs about how we will follow Jesus no matter what. But do we REALLY believe it? Do we walk it out? Those were very real questions for us, as we had never taken a step of faith quite so big. We had never before walked onto "nothingness." It was like stepping off the edge of a cliff in the dark. And yet somehow, someway when we stepped in full faith and had nothing at all to rely on but God, THAT is the moment He showed up in the most profound ways.

I could give you story after story of how at the exact moment we needed additional funds, the exact amount arrived. And if you've spent any time on adoption blogs, you will see a similar thread running through all our stories: We stepped out, and GOD did the rest! I think that part of the reason that adoption looks impossible because of financial barriers is so that it HAS to be a walk of faith. It makes it impossible in human terms so that God Himself has to deliver every dollar and every miracle along the journey...so that we can look back and say, "It was HIM, not me, who did this!" After all, it is God who is the One who places the lonely in families. It is all HIM.

I don't advocate for everyone to adopt. I think we all have our own roles to play in caring for God's children...some give money, some work in orphanages, some are foster parents, some send clothes to orphans, some work in crisis pregnancy centers, and some adopt. But if you are one of those people who has ever seen a child in need and said, "I would adopt them if I had the money," then please seek God...it may be HIM who is laying that burden on your heart. You may not have the money, but HE DOES! If He calls you, He will provide. As my sweet friend Joy always says, "God always pays for what He orders." :)

And now where are we in our journey? We started with $0 saved and a big "mountain" of $17,000 in expected fees and expenses for our adoption. But, what does God say about mountains? If we have faith as small as a mustard seed, we can say to this mountain, "Be removed," and it will be. We speak to our mountains! :) Somehow, someway...and we cannot even explain HOW it all came to be (MIRACLES!)...we are at the tail end of our journey and only lack $3436. Now, let me tell you...GOD DID THAT! And we have faith that He will bring in every single penny of the remaining fees. It is HIM who is placing Grace into our family! If that doesn't give you goose bumps, then you missed it (read it again!). :)

I will close with a THANK YOU to the Lupfer family who recently blessed us 3 times with donations. They worked to earn extra money for our adoption. God has blessed us with amazing friends and wonderful support! Here you can see the book sale they had to earn money to bring home Grace. May God bless each of you who has played an instrumental role in bringing His child home to us! Help us PRAY her home!