We want everyone to know how much we appreciate you keeping up with us through this journey so far and for all the love and encouragement you've given us along the way.
Have a good summer and take care! Until we blog again...
Greg & Laura
Friday, June 27, 2008
Signing Off (for now)
With not much happening in our adoption world for a while now, the blogging tank is running a bit empty... So, after much consideration, we have decided to take an indefinite hiatus. Our plan is to return when the time feels right.
We want everyone to know how much we appreciate you keeping up with us through this journey so far and for all the love and encouragement you've given us along the way.
Have a good summer and take care! Until we blog again...
Greg & Laura
We want everyone to know how much we appreciate you keeping up with us through this journey so far and for all the love and encouragement you've given us along the way.
Have a good summer and take care! Until we blog again...
Greg & Laura
Friday, June 13, 2008
Rain, rain go away...
Here is what our backyard looks like this afternoon....
The rain gauge reads 4.5" so far today...
The rain gauge reads 4.5" so far today...
Thursday, June 12, 2008
21 Months
Our paperwork has been logged in for 21 months now. 
This month the CCAA referred 8 days, from 1/13/06-1/20/06. This brings the current wait up to about 29 months...the wait is basically increasing a half a month to a full month each month.
Here is a great graph by another blogger showing the trends over the last few years...you can see how drastically things have changed .
The next couple of months should be interesting. The Olympics start in August and there is still no clear answer with what is going to happen with adoptions during that time. Some agencies are telling their clients that everything will continue on as normal just no travel to Beijing during the Olympics. Other agencies are telling their clients that there will be no travel during August. Some agencies are even staying that travel approvals and referrals will be affected in the months surrounding the Olympics. It's probably safe to say that the Olympics will have some effect but since the CCAA has not given any official word, we still don't know how it will affect the waiting parents.
Now then, where did I place that crystal ball....
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Friday, May 30, 2008
Home again, home again....
We made it back from our trip and had a wonderful time!! We weren't at all ready to leave and are already talking about when we can go again. Some of the highlights were seeing the Mayan ruins, swimming in a cave (looked like a scene straight out of The Goonies), and taking a wave runner out on the ocean. Click here if you would like to check out a few of our pictures.
Hope you all are doing well and had a nice Memorial Day weekend. We're looking forward to this Sunday when our friends Joel & Misty will have Garrett & Isabel baptized!
Hope you all are doing well and had a nice Memorial Day weekend. We're looking forward to this Sunday when our friends Joel & Misty will have Garrett & Isabel baptized!
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
The China Earthquake
I'm sure that you have all heard about the horrible earthquake in China. We've been getting email updates through Half the Sky. Here are some highlights from their latest update:
Dear friends,I know you have been waiting eagerly for more news of how the children are faring during the aftermath of the disastrous earthquake in Sichuan. We have now set up a procedure whereby we can get an update from the Ministry of Civil affairs each day. They are supervising all relief efforts so have the most complete and accurate information available. We also now have contact information for all affected welfare institutions and have begun the process of reaching out to them directly to see if they need help.
As of now, Wednesday afternoon in China, there are 12,012 people dead and 7,841 missing in Sichuan alone, and the numbers continue to rise. 26,206 people are living in temporary shelters. Only 30 children of 900 have been rescued from the collapsed high school in Dujiangyan, Sichuan. At least 20 children were buried in the collapse of a primary school in Liangping, Chongqing.What follows are the welfare institutions closest to the epicenter:Mianyang, Zitong County, Dujiangyan, Deyang and Guanguan. The following is a preliminary, and not necessarily complete, list of institutions which are also potentially affected: Wenjiang County,Neijiang, Rongxian, Zigong, Ganzizhou, Panzhihua, Luzhou, Santai County,Leshan, Suining, Nanchong, Guang'an. We will have a full list later today or early tomorrow. While we've heard rumors about some of the above, we won't pass on that information until we've made direct contact and verified. I want to stress that we've heard no reports of children in the welfare institutions being injured, only that some have been relocated for their safety.
In cooperation with China's Ministry of Civil Affairs, Half the Sky has set up the Children's Earthquake Fund. The Fund will provide direct aid to the thousands of children who are suffering in the wake of the earthquake and aftershocks. Donations will be used to provide emergency and long-term relief to children affected by the disaster, including emergency shelter, food, and medical care for children orphaned or separated from their families, as well as temporary or long-term fostercare or, if necessary, temporary institutional care. The ministry has guaranteed that the funds will be used only to help the children.
If you'd like to donate to the Children's Earthquake Fund mentioned above, just click here.
Dear friends,I know you have been waiting eagerly for more news of how the children are faring during the aftermath of the disastrous earthquake in Sichuan. We have now set up a procedure whereby we can get an update from the Ministry of Civil affairs each day. They are supervising all relief efforts so have the most complete and accurate information available. We also now have contact information for all affected welfare institutions and have begun the process of reaching out to them directly to see if they need help.
As of now, Wednesday afternoon in China, there are 12,012 people dead and 7,841 missing in Sichuan alone, and the numbers continue to rise. 26,206 people are living in temporary shelters. Only 30 children of 900 have been rescued from the collapsed high school in Dujiangyan, Sichuan. At least 20 children were buried in the collapse of a primary school in Liangping, Chongqing.What follows are the welfare institutions closest to the epicenter:Mianyang, Zitong County, Dujiangyan, Deyang and Guanguan. The following is a preliminary, and not necessarily complete, list of institutions which are also potentially affected: Wenjiang County,Neijiang, Rongxian, Zigong, Ganzizhou, Panzhihua, Luzhou, Santai County,Leshan, Suining, Nanchong, Guang'an. We will have a full list later today or early tomorrow. While we've heard rumors about some of the above, we won't pass on that information until we've made direct contact and verified. I want to stress that we've heard no reports of children in the welfare institutions being injured, only that some have been relocated for their safety.
In cooperation with China's Ministry of Civil Affairs, Half the Sky has set up the Children's Earthquake Fund. The Fund will provide direct aid to the thousands of children who are suffering in the wake of the earthquake and aftershocks. Donations will be used to provide emergency and long-term relief to children affected by the disaster, including emergency shelter, food, and medical care for children orphaned or separated from their families, as well as temporary or long-term fostercare or, if necessary, temporary institutional care. The ministry has guaranteed that the funds will be used only to help the children.
If you'd like to donate to the Children's Earthquake Fund mentioned above, just click here.
Monday, May 12, 2008
Twenty Months
Today marks our 20 month LID anniversary. This month the CCAA sent referrals for families logged in from 1/10/06-1/12/06....yep, 3 days! Not great, not great at all. These families waited 28ish months. We are still expecting to wait another 2 years based on the current rate of referrals...and still praying for a miracle speed-up after the Olympics in August.In better news, we leave next Thursday for the Riviera Maya! We are super excited to relax on the beach for 5 days!!
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Happy Earth Day
We have been trying to "go green" little by little over the last couple years. During that time I've made my way through a lot of green websites, so I thought today would be a good day to share some of our favorites.One of our very favorite products is Method - last year we changed all of our household cleaning, laundry products, and air fresheners to Method. All of their products are non-toxic, made with naturally derived, biodegradable ingredients. You can order off of the internet, but the really great thing is that Target carries almost all of the Method products! We've also tried some of the Seventh Generation products. Most are comparable to Method - but I do like Method's laundry products better.
We love using these bottles instead of buying bottled water . Our latest purchase just came in the mail this weekend - great for packing a sandwich.
I've been trying to sort my way through this website to learn about safe skin care products. Speaking of personal care products - I love Burt's Bees and Jason.
And, here is just a great site site for general green shopping.
These are some of our favorites and I'm always on the hunt for more, so please share.
**update: I was just at my favorite natural food store and they had their reusable grocery bags 20% off, so I thought it would be a good time to give it a try - I picked up 4 of the ChicoBags . After loading up my groceries and carrying them home - I'm pretty convinced already that they'll be great!!
Friday, April 18, 2008
Send a net, save a life.
We first learned about a campaign called Nothing But Nets about 2 years ago when Greg was reading a column by Rick Reilly in Sports Illustrated. Nothing But Nets is an organization that was formed to help stop the spread of malaria in Africa by distributing mosquito nets. Malaria is the leading killer of children in Africa, killing nearly 3,000 children every year. For just $10 you can buy a net and quite possibly save the life of a child.
Here is a video that talks a little more about Nothing But Nets.
Next Friday, April 25 is World Malaria Day - if you would like to help this great organization and buy a net, we have added a logo to the right side of the blog that will take you to the Nothing But Nets website to learn more.
Here is a video that talks a little more about Nothing But Nets.
Next Friday, April 25 is World Malaria Day - if you would like to help this great organization and buy a net, we have added a logo to the right side of the blog that will take you to the Nothing But Nets website to learn more.
Saturday, April 12, 2008
19 Month LID Anniversary
We've been logged in 19 months today. This month the CCAA referred only 5 days - from 1/4/06-1/9/06. Rumors are still out there that things might speed up a bit after the Olympics...we can only hope!! Have a great weekend!
Friday, April 11, 2008
Shoot for the Clouds!
I guess you could say we have a sort of love-hate relationship with China... a country that is both fascinating - with their rich culture and history - and utterly baffling sometimes in their rationale (thus, why we can't even begin to understand what their logic is with adoptions right now).
If you haven't heard, what we're about to tell you may sound like a punchline to a joke, or perhaps part of the dramatic conclusion to Armageddon II, but no... it's real. Here's the latest head-shaker out of China:
In order to ensure the opening ceremony for the upcoming Beijing Olympics doesn't get rained out, China is apparently readying an arsenal of weapons [clearing throat] to shoot the clouds.
You can't make this stuff up, folks. Go ahead... read the article for yourself.
I guess we should realize by now that with China, anything is within the realm of possibility, however off-the-(great)wall. Kinda makes you wonder what China ISN'T capable of when they put their minds to it.
So, next time you spy a threatening cloud about ready to soak your outdoor gathering... unlock the gun cabinet, grab your favorite rifle loaded with silver iodide bullets (available soon at your local sporting goods store) and open fire on those stinkin' rain clouds. "DIE!! YOU FLUFFY SUCKERS!!"
Oh, China... what will you think of next?
If you haven't heard, what we're about to tell you may sound like a punchline to a joke, or perhaps part of the dramatic conclusion to Armageddon II, but no... it's real. Here's the latest head-shaker out of China:
In order to ensure the opening ceremony for the upcoming Beijing Olympics doesn't get rained out, China is apparently readying an arsenal of weapons [clearing throat] to shoot the clouds.
You can't make this stuff up, folks. Go ahead... read the article for yourself.
I guess we should realize by now that with China, anything is within the realm of possibility, however off-the-(great)wall. Kinda makes you wonder what China ISN'T capable of when they put their minds to it.
So, next time you spy a threatening cloud about ready to soak your outdoor gathering... unlock the gun cabinet, grab your favorite rifle loaded with silver iodide bullets (available soon at your local sporting goods store) and open fire on those stinkin' rain clouds. "DIE!! YOU FLUFFY SUCKERS!!"
Oh, China... what will you think of next?
Tuesday, April 08, 2008
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Sunday, March 23, 2008
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
I've been tagged...twice...
My friends Wendy and Alisa have both tagged me! Here's how it works:
-You have to tag 5 people (you can't tag the person that tagged you)
-You leave them a comment on their blog (‘you’re tagged’ and ‘why’)
-Direct them to your blog for instructions…when you get tagged, you post ten fun facts about yourself!
So, here are my ten:
1. I love to cook! I love cookbooks, but more for reading and getting ideas than actually following the recipes. Luckily I have a wonderful husband who will eat pretty much any concoction that I put in front of him!
2. I gave up soda Jan. 1, 2007 - haven't had one since and don't miss it!
3. Summer is my favorite time. I'm a big fan of the outdoors and being in the sun. I even enjoy picking weeds....it's relaxing. I love having the windows open! Poor Greg, the last 5 years it has been almost 4th of July weekend before we've turned on the air. It's kind of a running joke w/ our neighbors.
4. I'm kind of "granola" (as my old supervisor would say). I try to buy as much organic as we can afford - especially fruits and veggies, I juice, I cook with tofu, and I love doing yoga.
5. I hate turtlenecks - too suffocating!
6. I have a love/hate relationship with naps. I enjoy a nap, but it must be cloudy, cool, and/or raining. I can hardly stand to take a nap if the sun is shining and I could be outside instead! Now, napping in a lounge chair...that's a whole different story!
7. I have the best husband in the world - he's my best friend and I have so much fun with him. If we had it our way, we'd have our own business so we could be together all the time...or just move to Kauai and live on the beach (either would work).
8. If I had to do the whole college/career thing over again, I'd probably be a dietitian or nutritionist. I'm very interested in the role our diet has in keeping the body healthy and even healing the body.
9. I love music - pretty much all kinds - we usually have music playing most of the time at our house.
10. I don't particularly like talking about myself, so this was slightly painful for me! :-)
I know I'm supposed to tag 5 more people, but I only know 3 others bloggers out there (besides the 2 that tagged me). So, Mandy, Missy, and Misty - you're it!!
-You have to tag 5 people (you can't tag the person that tagged you)
-You leave them a comment on their blog (‘you’re tagged’ and ‘why’)
-Direct them to your blog for instructions…when you get tagged, you post ten fun facts about yourself!
So, here are my ten:
1. I love to cook! I love cookbooks, but more for reading and getting ideas than actually following the recipes. Luckily I have a wonderful husband who will eat pretty much any concoction that I put in front of him!
2. I gave up soda Jan. 1, 2007 - haven't had one since and don't miss it!
3. Summer is my favorite time. I'm a big fan of the outdoors and being in the sun. I even enjoy picking weeds....it's relaxing. I love having the windows open! Poor Greg, the last 5 years it has been almost 4th of July weekend before we've turned on the air. It's kind of a running joke w/ our neighbors.
4. I'm kind of "granola" (as my old supervisor would say). I try to buy as much organic as we can afford - especially fruits and veggies, I juice, I cook with tofu, and I love doing yoga.
5. I hate turtlenecks - too suffocating!
6. I have a love/hate relationship with naps. I enjoy a nap, but it must be cloudy, cool, and/or raining. I can hardly stand to take a nap if the sun is shining and I could be outside instead! Now, napping in a lounge chair...that's a whole different story!
7. I have the best husband in the world - he's my best friend and I have so much fun with him. If we had it our way, we'd have our own business so we could be together all the time...or just move to Kauai and live on the beach (either would work).
8. If I had to do the whole college/career thing over again, I'd probably be a dietitian or nutritionist. I'm very interested in the role our diet has in keeping the body healthy and even healing the body.
9. I love music - pretty much all kinds - we usually have music playing most of the time at our house.
10. I don't particularly like talking about myself, so this was slightly painful for me! :-)
I know I'm supposed to tag 5 more people, but I only know 3 others bloggers out there (besides the 2 that tagged me). So, Mandy, Missy, and Misty - you're it!!
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
One and 1/2 years
Today is our 18 month LID anniversary! This month the CCAA referred another 8 days - making the cutoff 1/4/06, and the current wait 27ish months. Hey, at least they are in our LID year finally!Bragging rights to the first person to figure out the trick to this site!
Have a great Wednesday - enjoy the beautiful weather!
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Friday, March 07, 2008
Friday Fun
Check out this link for some laughs...
Warning: there is sound once you click on a horse.
Tip: It's a little tricky getting the timing just right, so here's a tip for some good harmonizing... Click on a horse, then go to the next horse you want to sing and click & hold. Wait until the one(s) singing get to the end of their phrase and then release the mouse to start the next one. You can click the horse again to get them to stop if they miss their cue. We would like to suggest this order (left to right)... 1, 3, 4, 2. Play around and make your own mix. Enjoy!
Warning: there is sound once you click on a horse.
Tip: It's a little tricky getting the timing just right, so here's a tip for some good harmonizing... Click on a horse, then go to the next horse you want to sing and click & hold. Wait until the one(s) singing get to the end of their phrase and then release the mouse to start the next one. You can click the horse again to get them to stop if they miss their cue. We would like to suggest this order (left to right)... 1, 3, 4, 2. Play around and make your own mix. Enjoy!
Garrett is a big brother!!
Congratulations to Joel, Misty, and Garrett on the arrival of Isabel Grace....Isabel was born Feb. 25. and weighed 5 lbs 1 oz. She is getting stronger everyday and it sounds like she'll be home soon!!
Monday, March 03, 2008
There are no coincidences
Did you think we had run off (or for you O'Brother fans, RUNNOFT) to China and forgot to tell you?! I know, it's been a while, not to worry though, we're still here....you're not gonna get rid of us that easy. Guess you could say we've been in a blogging-slump lately. To be honest we've been in an adoption-slump lately. The last few weeks we've been trying to decide once and for all if it would be possible to do a concurrent adoption in enough time to not interfere with our adoption from China. In order for this to work, it would have to be completed in one year. If we've learned one thing on this journey, we've learned that it is unpredictable and there is just not another program out there that is stable/predictable enough to guarantee this timeframe. Had we known at the beginning of 2007 that it would be 2010 before we'd be in China, we would have started a concurrent then, but we just didn't think the wait would continue to this degree. So, we made the decision this week that we would put all thoughts of a concurrent adoption behind us, continue to be faithful in our wait for Anna, and in the meantime start living our lives again.
We also decided that we were due a vacation. We haven't really had a nice one since our honeymoon almost 8 years ago, so after talking to Joel & Misty a couple weeks ago about their trips to Cancun, we heard the ocean calling! So, we've spent the week planning a trip to the Riviera Maya for May!!
Now, as for the title of this post.... We had an amazing, faith-building day at church yesterday!! The day started with a great sermon followed by communion. Then, in Sunday school we had a great lesson from the Purpose Driven Life video series and then at the end of class our friends Kevin and Mandy reminded us that there are no coincidences. We were just getting ready to finish class when Mandy said that she had something for the class, but mainly for us. She went on to say some wonderful things about adoption and how they think about us and our wait for Anna everyday. And then, she begins to pass around a gift bag filled with bracelets that she had made for us and anyone who wanted one!! They are those "livestrong" type bracelets, but they're red and say "Waiting for Anna" on them!! What an amazing, thoughtful gift!!
The timing of this was just - well, not coincidence. After just deciding that a concurrent adoption wasn't possible and that we would continue to faithfully wait for Anna and then to be given this thoughtful gift and to feel this circle of support around us as everyone put these bracelets on.....it was truly amazing and overwhelming. To know that we are waiting for Anna, but that we're not alone, that there are a lot of amazing people here waiting with us, is an awesome feeling. We can't wait for her to meet all of you! Thank you Kevin & Mandy - we just can't tell you what this meant to us and how perfect the timing was. Thank you to everyone for your continued support, thoughts, and prayers....it means so much.
We also decided that we were due a vacation. We haven't really had a nice one since our honeymoon almost 8 years ago, so after talking to Joel & Misty a couple weeks ago about their trips to Cancun, we heard the ocean calling! So, we've spent the week planning a trip to the Riviera Maya for May!!
Now, as for the title of this post.... We had an amazing, faith-building day at church yesterday!! The day started with a great sermon followed by communion. Then, in Sunday school we had a great lesson from the Purpose Driven Life video series and then at the end of class our friends Kevin and Mandy reminded us that there are no coincidences. We were just getting ready to finish class when Mandy said that she had something for the class, but mainly for us. She went on to say some wonderful things about adoption and how they think about us and our wait for Anna everyday. And then, she begins to pass around a gift bag filled with bracelets that she had made for us and anyone who wanted one!! They are those "livestrong" type bracelets, but they're red and say "Waiting for Anna" on them!! What an amazing, thoughtful gift!!
The timing of this was just - well, not coincidence. After just deciding that a concurrent adoption wasn't possible and that we would continue to faithfully wait for Anna and then to be given this thoughtful gift and to feel this circle of support around us as everyone put these bracelets on.....it was truly amazing and overwhelming. To know that we are waiting for Anna, but that we're not alone, that there are a lot of amazing people here waiting with us, is an awesome feeling. We can't wait for her to meet all of you! Thank you Kevin & Mandy - we just can't tell you what this meant to us and how perfect the timing was. Thank you to everyone for your continued support, thoughts, and prayers....it means so much.
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Happy 17 Month LID...
Isn't "happy" and "17 Month" an oxymoron?!? :-)The last group of referrals the CCAA sent were for families logged in from Dec 20 - Dec 27, 2005. The current wait from LID to referral is approximately 26 months...and climbing.
In other news, I am sure most people have seen the news about the storms in China. For those who are unaware, China has been battered by extremely cold weather and snow in some of the warmer regions that normally do not see cold weather. This is the worst weather the region has seen in over 50 years so they are not equipped to deal with it. Unfortunatly some of the orphanages are without power and heat. Others have sick babies, are runnning out of supplies, and have had equipment break down. Half the Sky is doing all they can to help, if you'd like to help - just visit their website to learn how. Thanks.
Monday, February 11, 2008
This is pretty much how we spent the day...
Hope you all are surviving the ice storm and staying warm!
Sunday, February 10, 2008
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
That was fast!
We already received our new I-171H in the mail. This is the form we had to go to K.C. recently to renew. The new one is good until July 2009...which means we'll have to renew one more time before we go to China. We're now predicting it will be summer 2010 when we get our referral. As children, we thought we'd be flying around like The Jetsons by 2010!
Sunday, January 20, 2008
Buckle Your Seatbelts...
First of all, sorry for the lack of blogging lately. It's been a crazy start to the year for us. Allow us to fill you in...
A couple of months ago, we received a message from Laura's doctor telling us about one of her patients who was pregnant and wished to make an adoption plan for the baby. Knowing our desire to have children, the doctor thought of us along with a couple of other families. The information we were given at the time was sparse, but this would apparently be a semi-open adoption and handled through private attorneys. To be honest, this was a road that we never really saw ourselves traveling... So we were hesitant, but decided to let the doctor give our names to a mediator who would help facilitate the adoption.
Weeks passed and we didn't hear anything, so we basically wrote it off in our minds. Then, suddenly... in the midst of the holiday calm we received another call to see if we were still interested in considering and being considered for this adoption. After a little prodding, we agreed to at least meet with the birthmom. We decided to treat it as a "testing the waters" experience. This would be a somewhat awkward meeting for obvious reasons... But despite our fears, it went relatively well and we came away feeling a lot different than we expected.
The next morning we received a call from the mediator and, to our bewilderment, were told that the birthmom had chosen us to be the adoptive family. (Gulp!) Obviously, we were overwhelmed by the unexpectedness of ALL of this. It would be hard not to appreciate the rareness of this opportunity and the way it seemed to be coming together... and yet we had serious concerns about the circumstances that would surround the adoption. Nonetheless, we suddenly found ourselves with the ball in our court. "What do we do now??"
Along with the details of the days that followed, we'll also spare you any more suspense... This child will not be ours.
So.. back to the story...
To say the least, this was a decision that caused us a lot of turmoil (some of you, no doubt, with tiny grins right now thinking about our struggles with even the smallest decisions). What an amazing opportunity to bring a child into our family much earlier than we anticipated, and better yet it wouldn't interfere with our China adoption. On the other hand, our instincts about the scenario continued to keep us grounded.
Oh, a minor detail we haven't mentioned yet... this baby was possibly only DAYS away from being born. (Gulp! again) Obviously this added to the pressure of our decision, but we knew it was possible and that friends and family would rally to help us overcome the extreme time crunch. The question remained... Was this God's will?
We prayerfully considered adopting this child (and were coming much closer than we ever imagined in the beginning)... We decided to move forward with it and even sought legal council to see what the risks were and what needed to happen to make it all work. We leaned upon friends and family to help us talk through this heavy decision, and make sure we carefully considered all of the matters involved in the situation. We proceeded with "cautious optimism", but as things progressed and more concerns cropped up it started to become clear that, for us, it wasn't meant to be.
It brought us comfort to know that the birthmom also felt very strongly about one of the other families she had met with, and we have reason to believe they might be more prepared to handle the present circumstances...
So... the last few weeks have been a roller coaster of a ride. After our final decision was made, we experienced disappointment and sadness that it didn't work out. We realize it might be hard for some to understand how we could turn away from something that seemed to fall into our laps... Could it have worked despite our reservations? We'll never know the answer to that, but now that we're back on solid ground and free from the stress and emotional intensity of the situation.. we feel that we made the right decision - for everyone. In the end, we had to go with the instincts that God gave us. Our time will come.
So, why did this happen? What did it all mean? We may not know the complete answer to that right away, but we've learned so much for having gone through this. It has been a faith building experience. And even though we're very anxious to become parents, it has given us a greater appreciation for what we do have and we realize now more than ever how blessed we are to have people in our lives who will love us and support us no matter what.
What a year... and it's only mid-January.
A couple of months ago, we received a message from Laura's doctor telling us about one of her patients who was pregnant and wished to make an adoption plan for the baby. Knowing our desire to have children, the doctor thought of us along with a couple of other families. The information we were given at the time was sparse, but this would apparently be a semi-open adoption and handled through private attorneys. To be honest, this was a road that we never really saw ourselves traveling... So we were hesitant, but decided to let the doctor give our names to a mediator who would help facilitate the adoption.
Weeks passed and we didn't hear anything, so we basically wrote it off in our minds. Then, suddenly... in the midst of the holiday calm we received another call to see if we were still interested in considering and being considered for this adoption. After a little prodding, we agreed to at least meet with the birthmom. We decided to treat it as a "testing the waters" experience. This would be a somewhat awkward meeting for obvious reasons... But despite our fears, it went relatively well and we came away feeling a lot different than we expected.
The next morning we received a call from the mediator and, to our bewilderment, were told that the birthmom had chosen us to be the adoptive family. (Gulp!) Obviously, we were overwhelmed by the unexpectedness of ALL of this. It would be hard not to appreciate the rareness of this opportunity and the way it seemed to be coming together... and yet we had serious concerns about the circumstances that would surround the adoption. Nonetheless, we suddenly found ourselves with the ball in our court. "What do we do now??"
Along with the details of the days that followed, we'll also spare you any more suspense... This child will not be ours.
So.. back to the story...
To say the least, this was a decision that caused us a lot of turmoil (some of you, no doubt, with tiny grins right now thinking about our struggles with even the smallest decisions). What an amazing opportunity to bring a child into our family much earlier than we anticipated, and better yet it wouldn't interfere with our China adoption. On the other hand, our instincts about the scenario continued to keep us grounded.
Oh, a minor detail we haven't mentioned yet... this baby was possibly only DAYS away from being born. (Gulp! again) Obviously this added to the pressure of our decision, but we knew it was possible and that friends and family would rally to help us overcome the extreme time crunch. The question remained... Was this God's will?
We prayerfully considered adopting this child (and were coming much closer than we ever imagined in the beginning)... We decided to move forward with it and even sought legal council to see what the risks were and what needed to happen to make it all work. We leaned upon friends and family to help us talk through this heavy decision, and make sure we carefully considered all of the matters involved in the situation. We proceeded with "cautious optimism", but as things progressed and more concerns cropped up it started to become clear that, for us, it wasn't meant to be.
It brought us comfort to know that the birthmom also felt very strongly about one of the other families she had met with, and we have reason to believe they might be more prepared to handle the present circumstances...
So... the last few weeks have been a roller coaster of a ride. After our final decision was made, we experienced disappointment and sadness that it didn't work out. We realize it might be hard for some to understand how we could turn away from something that seemed to fall into our laps... Could it have worked despite our reservations? We'll never know the answer to that, but now that we're back on solid ground and free from the stress and emotional intensity of the situation.. we feel that we made the right decision - for everyone. In the end, we had to go with the instincts that God gave us. Our time will come.
So, why did this happen? What did it all mean? We may not know the complete answer to that right away, but we've learned so much for having gone through this. It has been a faith building experience. And even though we're very anxious to become parents, it has given us a greater appreciation for what we do have and we realize now more than ever how blessed we are to have people in our lives who will love us and support us no matter what.
What a year... and it's only mid-January.
Saturday, January 12, 2008
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