We have seen many adjustments in our adoption timeline since we applied to the Thailand program three years ago.  Recently I was sorting through some paperwork and found this letter Aaron wrote to his last year's school teacher.



Here we are almost 14 months after the letter was written, and still she isn't home.  It served as an important reminder that our children have experienced disappointments along the way as well.   They have learned to wait, work through delays with us, and deal with the frustrations of unmet desires.   We are grateful this journey enables us to lean on the Sovereign Grace of our Father more concretely. The idea of adoption is marvelous; but the actual pursuit has tested our faith regularly. Can you believe Luke has waited half his life to meet his sister?  We are certain God will use this prolonged journey to shape our boys, and family, for the rest of our lives.  We only hope to reflect Christ, remembering we are undeserving of this gift and point others to the Heavenly Father who went to greater lengths to adopt us into his family through the cross of His Dear Son.

After seeing no adoption movement for months and months, I have great news! The Thai government has officially approved the match of our daughter with our family!  This is the day we have prayed and waited for over the last year!   This approval is significant because it means that travel dates are coming soon!  Here is a video of us sharing the news with the boys.  (There may even be a hint to her name...)


Since the approval a couple of months ago, I have been busy doing a lot of official paperwork. If you've ever doubted the amount of paperwork necessary to complete an international adoption, let me change your perspective with this picture.




This latest round of paperwork was 2 steps and included the visa application.  Once I knew the visa approval was in the mail, it became a little friendly competition between Jamie and I to check the mailbox first.  Let's just say I won, and I'll let you judge my level of self control opening this envelope!



So now we wait for our FINAL piece of paperwork from Thailand and file our FINAL  paperwork...and then... will be given TRAVEL DATES!!!  We are hoping to have her home by Christmas, but again we are already seeing some delays with our last needed piece of paperwork so it could be early next year.   Meanwhile, I'm spending my time researching the best flights over the possible dates to travel and I think it's FINALLY time to get her bedroom READY...  She is coming HOME soon.  We are in the home stretch now!!!

And if all this wasn't enough...we have new pictures up on the other blog too!  (Same password as before.)


-KW

Enough said. Posting on the private blog. Please email me if you have lost the link/password. :)

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• How much hair does N have? Enough for pigtails?!
• Will there be a picture in an outfit we sent?
• Does she like the blanket we sent?
• Is she walking?
• Is she talking?
• How many pounds has N grown?
• A translation of her name...

Since our referral we have...

• Sent two care packages to Thailand!  This is exciting and emotional and difficult.  We can only send a package every 3 months and it can't weigh more than one pound and must fit in a gallon zip lock bag. Each package has contained heart written notes and gifts to our daughter.

Reversible Baby Blanket sent with book, family  picture album, and disposable camera.

I couldn't find a dress in her size, but thought this onesie was adorable. Pulling this onesie out of the dryer made me long to hold our sweet girl!



I found a dress for the second care package!

  

Care package #2 ready to be mailed to Thailand!!!

•  Sent in more adoption paperwork and had another set of fingerprints taken.  Yes, fingerprints are unchanging, but that's the process :). 

• Shoveled more snow in subzero temperatures (and I'm not talking wind chill either) than we have wanted! I bet many of you can relate! But, heading out to mail paper work to sister made it seem a bit warmer. 

  Last time the boys helped mail documents they were wearing swimming trunks!!!!

So what's next?

Yes, we have more waiting :)  Travel most likely will be in 11-12 more months, but sooner is always a possibility. (I like possibilities!)  Would you be so kind to pray for the five of us while we wait? Over the last several months there has been a bit of political uprising in Thailand which caused a government 'shut down' or slow down.  One of the offices in Thailand that must grant adoption approvals for our adoption was indeed not able to process requests.  Although our USA agency has not confirmed a delay in our process, I don't see how it won't... 

The streets in Bangkok were over taken by protesters making it hard for the adoption board to safely work.

 We have now waited four and a half months since we have seen our daughters face.  Now that we have seen her face, waiting is  a bit harder...But, all that waiting means that we have new pictures of our sweet girl!  See you over at the other blog! (Email me for a link!)

 

There is so much we have learned and continue to learn about our Great God and Father in the pursuit of a little girl.  The sovereignty of God is a mysterious and meticulous biblical truth we stake our lives on. Moreover, considering our adoption of a little girl, we can honestly say we have been challenged to take an honest look at our trust and contentment in His providence.

We are excited to announce that we have our referral and have seen our daughter's picture!  There really isn't a way to prepare for the moment that you open your first file and see her face.  (Which by the way, I clicked refresh on my computer obsessively waiting an hour from "the call" till the files arrived in my email!) The below images (stills from a video) are our reactions as we opened the file and saw our daughter's beautiful face for the very.first.time!








Needless to say, the reality of adoption has taken on a deeper and more profound realization since we have seen her face and know details about our baby girl. Every glace at her picture captures our heart and deepens our love and resolve to bring her home.  Our reports tell us that she is healthy, docile, and likes to laugh loudly.  The most exciting news is she will be turning one in a couple of weeks, on her daddy's birthday!  Yes, Jamie and baby girl have the SAME birthday!

The past few days have been a myriad of emotions, but we are mostly ecstatic to know who she is and to have seen her sweet face. Now we wait 7 to 15 months to embrace her!

More details to come next week on private blog; please email bringinghomesister@hotmail.com to request link and password.

I recently took this blog private, but decided to set up a new blog for private posts instead.  I've also been told that many people were unable to contact me by commenting below.  So, if you'd like to follow my other blog, please send me an email and I will invite you to the new site. bringinghomesister@hotmail.com
Thanks!!!

September came and September went.  And, we are still waiting on September's update, whether that means being matched with our daughter and receiving her picture or a new number.  I confess it was a difficult month filled with excitement, anticipation, and disappointment; however, I'm proudly announcing that I haven't broken the glass to my chocolate bar. But don't be fooled dear friends, this month did involve chocolate!!! And yesterday a friend sent me this text of her purchase she made for me!

 (Notice I didn't say Jamie and the boys for ME!  BTW, this are my very favorite truffles!!)

Although September did not bring the news we had hoped for, it did bring very exciting news!  Gaze your eyes to the right.  Do you see it?!  We are fully funded!!!  Ek!!!  We have been so blessed in this adoption process.  Our Abba Father has taken care of all of our financial need in this adoption.  We are so thankful for the body of Christ who have journeyed beside us to help bring our daughter into her forever home! Now take your eyes to the left and find my adoption verse.  Thank you God for your provision!

We are so very humbled that you are reading this blog.  Thank you.  In order to comply with Thai law it will be necessary to password protect my daughter's picture. (Yes, we are STILL working on a name!)  So, please comment below with your email address so I can give you access to her see her picture (hopefully soon!).  We have been informed that we will have an new number or picture by the end of October.