Journal For Joseph

Let It Snow

2011-02-07T13:06:00.000-08:00

If you aren't in our area or haven't heard, we were SNOWED upon in Missouri! Bill calls me the "snow queen" because I just LOVE to LOOK at the snow. I marvel at it every time! An added bonus was that my big boys were home. For those who do not know, we enrolled our big boys in school this semester. Our curiosity about our local school and my desire to have some one-on-one time with Joseph contributed to our decision. The leap from homeschooling to public has been a little much for mommy, but knowing it is temporary is getting us through. If the Lord wills it, we will be enrolling them in a "part-time" private school next year. They go to school 2 days per week and do the rest of the work as homeschool. Anyway, the snow brought them home for almost an entire week. I thought I'd post some snow pictures. The big boys (including my husband) love to be in the snow. As you can tell from Joseph's pictures, he prefers to see it from the kitchen window like mommy!!

Joseph is doing great! I finally broke down and tested his language skills. As a Speech therapist, I couldn't resist. I tested him on his 21 month-day and he scored at 17 months. It made me relax a little. He seemed more delayed than that to me. I know, I just need to be more patient. He had so much gross and fine motor to learn about that speech took the backseat, I think. Besides, with brothers and mommy catering to his every whim, who needs to talk, right?? It's just ridiculous, really:) Our new favorite game is to chase our brothers around the kitchen and dining room squealing all the while!! Big brothers pretend he's a monster and "you will melt from fiery lava if he touches you"... so it is fun for all! Yes, my house is a rowdy frat house, but I love it!!

Just to give you an idea of what Joseph is like, he is BUSY, BUDDY!! He gets into EVERYTHING! At first, this was annoying to me because of the messes he makes. There are moments that it continues to be annoying and we go for the playpen. However, most of the time it is hilarious! He is FULL of joy and curious about each and every item in his little world. We call him our "pixie" because he runs everywhere and he is so tiny that it looks like he kind of floats with his feet barely touching the ground! I wish I had a video to post of what I mean... I'll try to work on that. He sleeps with his Diego doll EVERY naptime and EVERY night. When it is time for nap or bed, we say, "night night". We put him in his crib with Diego and he curls up with him to go to sleep. I snuck in a few hours after I put him to bed and found him in the position above in that picture. He looked like he was holding hands with Diego!!! He kisses all people, animals, and yes.. objects at times. This makes him a FAVORITE at church because he will lean in and nuzzle familiar folks like his teachers and friends. He has kissed dogs on the mouth, other children, and numerous stuffed animals. Such a little lover! I wonder if it is because his mommy can't stop kissin' on him! My grandmother from Alabama stated it best when she said, "He's added something to our lives that we never even knew was missing." Well said.

Still Merry.... Very

2010-12-20T06:12:00.000-08:00

Yes, we are still alive and well in Missouri!! Sorry about my shameful lack of posting! We have an OFFICIAL ADOPTION!!!! On November 18th, 2010, his real name was proclaimed by the judge and he was declared legally and forever ours...sort of. Our hired attorney did not know that the judge HAD to see the original Hague certificate (not a copy) in order to do the adoption. Therefore, after seeing the mortified looks of horror on the faces of parents and grandparents present, he agreed to go ahead and proceed, but pended it until we brought the original to him. We did our thing, took the pictures, celebrated, and then mommy and daddy beebopped it back to the courthouse with the original that afternoon.My dad wore a USA flag tie that he said he is going to put in a box and save until Joseph turns 18! How thoughtful is that??

Word to you other mommies... BRING ALL OF YOUR ORIGINAL DOCUMENTATION!! We trusted this attorney too much, I guess. We were also able to get a Social Security Number even though we were told we would have to wait until the birth certificate. The SS office said we didn't need that, so he already has a number. That means we can claim him on the taxes for this year! Hooray! Great news since EVERYTHING gets put on hold during an adoption.

All in all, this Christmas finds our family healthy, happy, official, and thankful. We are thankful for the adoption of our precious gift in Joseph. We are even more thankful for the gift of the Christ-child. Without Him, we couldn't be adopted ourselves. MERRY CHRISTMAS!

I've been scolded...

2010-10-18T19:07:00.000-07:00

I was properly chastised today by a friend reminding me of the neglectful lack of blogging I have been engaged in!!! Life with 3 boys is nothing short of "warp speed". We do have MUCH news to report and new pictures, of course!! First of all, JOSEPH IS WALKING!!! It was a few lunging controlled falls in August. Now, it has evolved into sure-footed, all-terrain, running (unless he stops to explore an item of interest). So, in case some of you ISRC mommies are counting... he was just shy of 16 months when he started taking steps.

Clothes are now a big issue-- or should I say a "small" issue?! Summer was great because shorts can be...well...short on him. I could buy 9 month size and they would fit. BUT, the weather is cooling off and that will no longer fly. We have every make and model of overall for my "no hynie, no waist" baby (seriously, 5 pair at last count). We are also fans of Carters' one piece diddies. My mother in law purchased some knit outfits and sewed snaps to make our own adjustable waist. Did everyone know that they don't make the really cool adjustable waist clothing until 24 months? Yep, it's true. If you have a skinny baby in America, you are just going to have to get creative. I have sewn unsightly "tucks" in the waists of all of his other pants hoping that the shirts will cover. Oh well. He's so cute, noone is looking at his clothes!!

I have had questions about homeschooling with a busy Joseph. It has really been pretty fabulous, actually. We are tackling second grade, kindergarten, and emerging language skills during our days. Baby gates are saving my life. I block all of us into the kitchen/morning room area and we get to work. It takes a little more time to get through, but it is developing patience in all of my children. They sometimes have to wait for me to get something or do something for a brother before I can get to their need. I really feel like we spend more time interacting with Joseph now that we are "doing school" because we all stay in one room together. This summer, we were always up to something! Like any honest homeschool mother, I will admit that I have my moments of dreaming of the big yellow bus, but we don't feel ready for that just yet!

Last, but certainly not least... WE HAVE A COURT DATE!!! November 18th is the day that Pallab, FNU (final name unknown?) will become our Joseph Pallab F.... officially!! Are we ready to be DONE??? YESSSSS!!!!!! This process has be the longest thing I think I have done in my life. It hasn't been the longest chronologically speaking, but mentally and emotionally it takes the prize. Would we do it again??? Just look at these pictures that a dear friend took yesterday and see if you can find the answer in the eyes of our miracle?? (We weren't dressed for pictures, BTW... I know Thomas J is wearing a Superman tee shirt... gasp! I am adequately mortified:) Our boys are God's gift to us. They are all so "fearfully and wonderfully made"... one of them just happened to be made in India!

Oh! I'm Sorry...I forget!

2010-07-28T07:19:00.000-07:00

I remember reading a post from another "adoptive mom" before we got Joseph. She had an incident where she "forgot" that her child was adopted and gave family medical history information for him. It was hard for me to understand how she could have not remembered that he was adopted. Well... I get it now!! My 7 year old was asking why he was small for his age and his brother is tall (they are 2 years apart and very close in size). I explained "heredity" to him and how he was taking on characteristics of my side of the family while his brother seemed to be favoring Daddy's side of the family. I almost said that it looked like his brother, Joseph was going to be taking after the smaller side of the family, too!! OOPS! I caught myself and smiled in my heart. Then, I explained that Joseph has different heredity, but that he would likely be closer to his size than to my taller guy.

The other thing that I have been pleasantly surprised about is how friendly and accepting our town has been! Whenever we go out, I have had so many sweet, beautiful comments. I have been braced for rudeness, but haven't really had any incidents to report. The only "annoying" thing is that we do get stopped A LOT. One day, I was having a difficult grocery trip and came home wishing I had a sign that read, "There's nothing to see here. Yes, he is very cute but I am just a mom trying to get my groceries and go home!" Of course, I want to reflect positively on adoption. I try to be friendly and vaguely answer questions when appropriate.

Lastly, just wanted to post some summer pics. Yes... we have been swimming A LOT!!

Now, we are going to try to enjoy our last few weeks before we re-start our homeschool year. Sniffle, sniffle that the summer is winding down. Enjoy, everyone!

Happy Birthday to... me!

2010-07-05T19:49:00.000-07:00

Okay-- so it isn't the post on citizenship that I had promised, but I just had to share my birthday surprises with everyone! Bill and my Mother In Law went in together and purchased a NEW CAMERA for yours truly! Get this... it is waterproof up to 10 feet and "SHOCK PROOF" up to 5 feet meaning I can drop it!!! Here is a picture I took of the boys in the pool. I know Joseph looks a little bit dazed. I promise that he had fun that day!!

THEN... my mother and grandmother purchased the shoes I have been salivating over since I first saw them! I have very high arches and these shoes feel WONDERFUL on my feet. AND I think they are so cute with the sparkles on them. They make me feel like a little girl! The shoes are supposed to shape up your tooshee and legs. I'm not calling Sports Illustrated just yet.

They also gave me a big bag of clothes. I AM NOT A SHOPPER, but these ladies purchase almost all of my clothing making them my very own personal shoppers. I always love what they pick out and the best part is that I don't have to shop for it.They are a huge blessing to this busy mom.

My family and hubbie went out of their way to make this Birthday so very special. I love them all so much!

On the adoption front, we have officially retained an attorney to help us with the finalization. You know, I didn't give all of this much thought on the front end. It was ALL about getting Joseph home. Now, I wish we had taken the time to educate ourselves on how to go about the business of legalizing stateside. Each state is different, but we feel an urgency to make this bond official.

This stage of the adoption reminds me of our (Christian's) spiritual adoption as joint heirs with Christ. The Bible reminds us of our TRUE identity and that our old selves are buried IN CHRIST. We are ready for Joseph's true identity to be declared and want him to have all legal rights as a son because we love him. Just as we can do nothing to "earn" our salvation, he doesn't have to to anything-- it is all being done for him. So many beautiful parallels of God's grace in adoption. That is one of the millions of reasons we think adoption is a remarkable thing.

Long Overdue Updates

2010-06-27T20:08:00.000-07:00

I owe an apology to all of my sweet bloggy friends. My blog time has been replaced with collapsing at night. I don't think I realized how much "nervous energy" I was fueled with during the waiting time for Joseph OR... I am five years older than I was the last time I was chasing a VERY BUSY baby around all day. It has not been unusual for my husband and me to go to bed before it is fully dark outside this summer!!! I was going through the trip to India chronologically, but I think I will now just "hit the highlights" because so much has happened since then that I want to post and who knows when I will be able to blog again (at this rate!)

Our flight to Delhi was uneventful and Joseph was a complete dream on the flight. The Dr's appointment was traumatic. They required 6 shots and examined our Rupees much longer than they examined him. The only decent, caring thing the Doctor said was that he needed, "fresh air and a lot of love" and that he should grow and do fine. Then, they proceeded to jab him 6 times while we had to hold him down screaming and holding his breath. We were all crying by the end. BARBARIC is the word for that. INHUMANE also comes to mind... but we survived.

Embassy day was actually pleasant except for the fact that we brought electronics that had to be checked. DON'T BRING ELECTRONICS that you have to check. You will have to wait in a long line in the heat to check them and to pick them up when you are done. It was also funny that we brought a little "star teether" that runs with batteries. This both entertained and confused the security officers. They asked me to take out the battery. YOU CAN'T TAKE OUT THE BATTERY, so we offered to let them keep it. They declined, but wanted to see how it worked, so I had to gnaw the teether in front of them! So funny! We had to pick up his Visa the next day after 3:00. Here is a great picture of Bill with our documents. He was totally our legals man on the trip.

The trip home was LONG, but thanks to an amazing baby and these super cool bassinets, our little guy missed most of it:

We finally arrived home to the United States feeling a new patriotism and contemplating the idea of "citizenship" in a new way. I plan to write a post about that-- hoping this week in honor of July 4th. We just wanted to be on American soil. We sat on the runway in Paris praying that our plane could just leave and land ANYWHERE in the US. We did get to leave that evening 3 hours late to land in Atlanta. We missed our connection and stayed in a hotel, but there were no complaints from these thankful passengers!! Here is a picture of us holding our last tickets that would bring us home:

NOW-- here are some newer pictures. Joseph has absolutely flourished since he came home!! Finding fresh air in Missouri is not difficult to do at all. Here are a few pictures I would love to show that Doctor in New Delhi! How are we doing on the "fresh air and love" thing?
I am pleased to show everyone "fresh air"

And lest we forget "Love":

Finally, I want to add that we have had some rather unpleasant "firsts". Upon arriving home, Joseph was terrified of all things wet. Baths were particularly traumatic. What do you do as a mom? I tried everything. Finally, I decided to use the sink instead of the tub. The first attempt produced back-arching screams mixed with new curiosity. By the 9th or 10th attempt, we had success:

Another "first" was the haircut! Very emotional for all involved. We went from this picture taken that morning before getting dressed for the "Cookie Cutter's Kid's Salon":

To this:

He was not impressed with the DVD's or Bubbles as distractions. I guess those are for kids who aren't as smart as my boy. He wasn't buying it and had his eye on that lady with the scissors! We have no photos of the actual process. We will just say that it was not a fun "first". The finished product was darling and we no longer have to answer the question, "How old is she?"

We are all doing great and enjoying our summer. God is good and our family is blessed. We now have 3 beautiful children. There is nothing like a house full of rowdy boys..."Sons are a heritage from the Lord...Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them"... Psalm 127

India- Part III (Gotcha Day!)

2010-05-30T20:01:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I am so slowly unfolding this... sorry! It is finally time to share GOTCHA DAY! Ms. Roy told us to call her at 10:00 am (yes, this makes the third time we have called her- per her requests) to figure out a time when she would bring him to the hotel. I was still praying that she would change her mind and let us come to the orphanage. She did not and said that she was going to bring him to our hotel "around" 12:30 or 1:00. You have to understand India to know that made me nervous. Time seems to be worn loosely there... it is really more of a time vortex, but I was hoping for promptness. That already felt like too long to wait to me:)

When we came back from breakfast, the housekeeper had set up the room SOO sweetly. She folded Joseph's little blanket, decorated with toys, and put some music on! I couldn't believe that he was on his way FINALLY!!

Here we are on GOTCHA DAY.. milling around after breakfast.

We thought we would go ahead and try to get massages while we waited, so we went to the spa. Well, they didn't have any openings that morning, but we got to meet the gal in the spa (Ms. Roy-- isn't that funny?) She immediately asked us if we were Christians and then told us her story... very cool. She had an extra area in her home where she would house volunteers from Mother Theresa's Home for the Destitute and Dying. One day, she even had Mother Theresa stay with her. She wanted to make her a special meal so she asked Mother T. what she liked best. Mother T. responded that she loved "mutton", but would not allow her to make it for her unless she could make it for everyone volunteering that day. This woman proceeded to buy and make mutton for LOTs of people because she so wanted to prepare a meal for Mother Theresa. She said she had to hire a caterer and it was quite expensive, but was such a blessing to her. She wanted to meet Joseph when he arrived and hugged us and prayed a blessing on us. It was precious... no massage, but that was why we went there, I think!!

Needless to say, we went downstairs at 12:15 and fixed our eyes on the door.

Here is a picture of the lobby of the hotel.

At 12:45, here was the sight!!! (sorry it is sideways... does anyone know how to rotate this?)

We were completely thrilled to see our angel for the first time. We also have some great video of me crying like a baby, but I don't know how to get it from camera to blog! Sorry!

Ms. Roy wanted to go straight up to our room, so we went up to our room with ME HOLDING JOSEPH, of course. Here is the blessing in having to meet at the hotel... we had uninterrupted time with Ms. Roy and one-on-one time with our oh-so-shy little guy. It was calm, controlled, quiet, and ALL ABOUT Joseph. I didn't have any other responsibilities or emotions to process. It was PURE DELIGHT meeting our son. Now that I know more of his personality, it was exactly what he needed as well. We met him and snuggled him a few minutes when he began to fuss. Ms. Roy took him and put him down for a nap. I will post the video of that in the next few days, I hope. She patted him and sang a lullaby to him (I guess) in Bengali. The little traumatized angel went right to sleep!

Then, we sat down with Ms. Roy and took care of all of the paperwork. We were able to calmly and quietly ask all of our questions. We were also able to give her the generous donations from our church of diapers, nipples, and over $300 for milk money. We think we heard a sigh of relief when she saw all of the donations! It was truly a blessing to have that time with this remarkable, sweet-spirited woman. She is so gentle and kind.

It was hard to see her go, but she was the conduit to bring us the most amazing gift...our son.

He slept for what felt like an eternity! Bill and I would just stare at him, then look at each other and laugh out loud. It was like, "can you believe what just happened and that he is right here?" The whole thing was this gentle, loving transaction. She stepped out of his life representing the care he received at the orphanage and then we were there when he woke up. He did wake up and was SO SAD. He had no idea what had happened and there was nothing familiar. I felt sorry for him and wanted to tell him it would be okay, but he had to have time to feel it. After a few hours of sadness.. not crying constantly, but off and on tears, he was smiling and laughing. I guess he figured we weren't so bad after all. By evening, we were seeing lots of this...

So-- that was our Gotcha Day in a nutshell. Was it anything like I imagined it would be? NO! Was it orchestrated by Joseph's Creator to be exactly what he needed? Absolutely! I will always regret that I never got to see his "first home". I wanted to see, smell, touch, feel what it was like. BUT- this is his story, not mine and this is how God ordained it to be.

India Part II (Sunday)

2010-05-26T09:48:00.000-07:00

I am finally writing "India"- part two. Bear with me as things are one baby crazier than they used to be:)

Let's see... I left off with our arrival in India at the Kenilworth Hotel the day after Joseph's first birthday (we landed in Delhi on his birthday--poetic, yes?) We woke up and went downstairs for breakfast with plans to call Ms. Roy at 11:00 that morning for "plans". At this point, we were still thinking she would be bringing him that day to us. After finishing breakfast (I took pictures, but I don't want to bore you with food pics again), we planned to walk a few blocks to the Victoria Memorial Park before coming back to make our call to Ms. Roy. We got directions from the hotel and started off. All was well (uncomfortable, but not unsafe) as we started off. We stopped to look at the statue of Indira Ghandi and we were taking in the sights when we were apparently "sighted". Turning away from the statue, we were met with a woman and two children begging from us. Why we had failed to discuss this prior to walking out of the hotel, I will never know, but we did not know what to do. She was an older lady with VERY small children (obviously not her own). One was on her hip while the other one trailed behind her on foot. We wanted to give her money, but didn't think that was what we were supposed to do. She was ALL OVER Bill... in his face, pulling at him... it was disorienting! Bill told her "no" and we tried to just keep walking. She followed us. She continued to follow even when we had to cross the busy street. We just knew that baby was going to get run over, but she was not concerned AT ALL about that baby's safety across the street. She continued to follow us even after we turned around to get back to the hotel- never making it to the park. We could SEE it across one more street, but didn't want that child to get plowed and we wanted to get away from this lady. When we got back to the hotel, they said that we SHOULD NOT HAVE given her any money. If we would have, we would have been swarmed with "50 more" (per the gentleman at the hotel). OH BOY, were we thankful that "something" kept us from giving her money. It was a horrible feeling turning away from her and not offering assistance, but at the same time we had a backpack full of documents. If our pack would have been swiped, there would have been no baby out of India! After talking to more people since we have been back, I know we should have had a "thicker skin" about the whole scene. We were heartbroken and Bill actually came back to the hotel nauseated. It was probably the combination of "nerves" that we would be getting Joseph and the sadness over the poverty, but he was NOT WELL.

So, we called Ms. Roy and she said that she couldn't bring Joseph on Sunday because her car was being used to pick up a baby! I wonder if that baby may be matched with a family waiting right now:) Anyway, she went on to tell us that she would come on Monday and that "It would be best" for us NOT to come to the orphanage. I WAS DEVASTATED. Not only were our hopes dashed that she would bring him a day early, but we weren't going to get to visit the orphanage. SO CRUSHED! I had been dreaming of "gotcha day" at the orphanage for MONTHS. Everything was turning out differently than I had planned. Then again, they were MY plans. God had a very different idea of what our family and Joseph needed "gotcha day" to look like. Our driver called and asked if we wanted him to take us sightseeing. In my mind, that is what we were going to do on Sunday. In reality, I had a sick husband and a sad heart. We declined as it was midday by now and BLAZING HOT on top of the aforementioned ailments.

I will close this entry with a thought about the difference between MY plans and my husband's plans. This may not apply to every family, but it sure would have made a difference if someone had said this to me before travel. Bill was on a mission. He assumed the responsibility of me and my safety along with the organization and safety of those precious documents. This was not a sightseeing pleasure trip for him in any way. He had never been out of the country and probably would have never left USA if our son wasn't born halfway around the world. He said that if we would have been there during a more "tourist" time, maybe he would have felt differently. He did not want to "traipse around Kolkata alone". It seemed like a ludicrous idea to him. I thought if I nagged enough, he would want to shop, see memorials, etc. NOT SO. After I adjusted my thought process and listened to my husband, it was so much easier to relax in the hotel and wait for the arrival of our son. It was very important for me to make this trip all about Joseph and NOT ABOUT ME. Sunday afternoon ended with us actually relaxing and enjoying the day together with no children (something we rarely do at home). The next day was about to hold MANY unexpected blessings!

India Trip- Arrival in India

2010-05-17T19:10:00.000-07:00

We will label this one "Part One". I debated on how to write and what to include in my retelling of the trip as I want it to be both interesting and informative for those travelling behind us. Bill and I agreed that chronological would be the way to go. Those of you adopting from India will likely read a bit closer than friends just interested in our trip and experience, but here we go...

We left Springfield around noon on Thursday, April 29. This was the teeny airplane we flew to Atlanta in:

Our baggage included one big suitcase and one duffle bag full of donations for the orphanage. Those were both checked. On international flights, you can check one bag each for "free" and have one carry-on each as well as a "personal item". We had one carry-on (between us) as well as the backpack and diaper bag (backpack-style) that we kept with us. My best advice is to pack as lightly as possible. Remember: whatever you take, you will be lugging around. I felt like we packed appropriately, really. With the baby things, it is hard to pack too light.

Here we are "all smiles" leaving our hometown. Notice my sweater... very good choice for the plane. You can't see my shoes (little slip on's) BAD choice for the plane. BRING SOCKS!

Anyway, we left Springfield for Atlanta and boarded this AirFrance plane:

This was such a nice plane. They "accidentally" thought we had an infant with us the ENTIRE trip there. It seemed impossible to the French people that we would NOT have an infant going to India, but would have one coming back, SOOO... we always got a "bulkhead" seat meaning we had extra legroom the entire trip:) NICE! AirFrance was very wonderful. I did discover that my 4 straight semesters of French in college were LONG FORGOTTEN! Couldn't understand a word... seriously... not a word.

We finally arrived in Delhi via Paris where many rude people reside, apparently. Bill pretty much got "frisked" in Paris. The men were much more abrupt and flat than the women. I won't mention the air fresheners that the flight attendants would go up and down the aisles with before each flight, either. WOW. I thought the French were known for their perfumes. That must be the people who stay in France because the ones venturing abroad on our airplane... woof! That is neither here nor there... moving on...

We arrived in Delhi and took the shuttle over from the international terminal to the domestic one. We were told to get a taxi to go over there, but the guy at the taxi counter told us to take the shuttle because it was free. I thought that was very honest of him. We rode a nice air-conditioned bus over to the domestic terminal in the middle of the night with 6 other people. It was 1:30 am when we got to the Delhi Domestic terminal. It wasn't open yet, but many people were waiting in the ticketing area with us. We thought we would have to wait until at least 3:00 am. We called home and talked to the boys and I journaled a few minutes. Then, at 2:30 they let everyone in! We went inside and looked like this:

The domestic terminal is quite nice. It is clean with lots of places to walk around. We should know... we were there from 2:30 am until our plane left LATE at 11:00 am! Yes, we could have gone to a hotel room, but why miss all the fun??!! Looking back, it was a good opportunity to begin to acclimate to the situation a bit. We were the minority there and it was a clean, safe place to experience that before landing in Kolkata. We weren't THE only "westerners" there like we were about to be in Kolkata. We were shuttled onto the plane in this little bus. It struck me that I was THE ONLY woman on the bus jammed with people and we were the only Americans. It was uncomfortable, but we never felt unsafe.

Our plane finally left Delhi. When we arrived in Kolkata (late), there were several drivers at baggage claim with signs waiting for people. We looked and looked for our sign and it wasn't there. Bill went to the line to prepay a taxi to take us to the hotel. We were SOOO jet-lagged and all we wanted was to have a ride to the hotel. As I was waiting with our bags for Bill to get a taxi for us, I happened to look outside the terminal and there was our name!!! The driver was waiting for us OUTSIDE the terminal. We were thrown by all the signs inside at baggage claim! We have never been so thankful to see our name!! (Hey, Dillon families:THE DRIVER WILL BE WAITING OUTSIDE THE TERMINAL!!)

Our car ride to the hotel in Kolkata was surreal. We were overwhelmed instantly by the sheer number of people and the poverty. Jet-lagged and emotional anyway, the images were almost more than our hearts could bear. You can see pictures, hear stories, watch movies, but nothing can prepare you for looking out your car window at the everyday life we witnessed. It felt wrong to take pictures, to be in an air-conditioned car, to be so privileged. I will say that it will take a while for us to process what we saw and felt in Kolkata. To comment further at this point would be in error. What I will say is that the people there are beautiful and gracious. In the midst of what we would consider a desperate situation, the people were demonstrating fortitude and resourcefulness. It seemed to me that there were just too many people in the area and that they have simply devoured the land and exhausted their resources. I did manage to take a few photos (being careful not to show faces):

I like the top photo because the women were ALWAYS dressed up! They could be walking through mire or riding on the back of a scooter, but they were dignified and gorgeous. The bottom photo is indicative of a storefront in Kolkata. The other thing that struck us was the fact that there were no obvious traffic laws and the horns were CONSTANT. Somehow, people got where they were going. Again... uncomfortable, but not unsafe with our driver.

We finallly arrived at our hotel and felt incoherent. We checked in and I know those people were wondering about us. They would have to ask us the same question three times before one of us would register and react. So thankful for the Kenilworth in Kolkata. It was a lifesaver that day and the entire stay in Kolkata. I can't imagine a better place to stay while there. Now, it is Saturday late afternoon Kolkata time for travel time in the 30's (hours). Guess what we did Saturday?! ZZZZZZ... and ...

ROOM SERVICE!! The Chicken Korma was "out of this world" delicious. I'm not exactly sure where Bill was going with the whole "Indian pizza" thing, but he liked it. We were pretty much all about the food there... yummy!

We did call Ms. Roy on Saturday and she gave us hope that she would bring Joseph to us on Sunday and asked us to call back on Sunday to make plans. We were delighted to get him a day early, but it was the first hint that she would be bringing him to us instead of us going to the orphanage. More to come on "Gotcha Day". I want to close with a list of things you don't want to forget when going to India:

1) Socks for the plane
2) Spoons for your baby (we were always hoarding plastic teaspoons the entire trip)
3) Oatmeal and nutrition bars
4) washcloths (the hotel in Kolkata didn't have them)
5) Your own shower gel (you'll want to smell like yourself-- I thought theirs was stinky on me)
6) Water (they give you 2 free and then you can order more, but I liked having our own. We used 24 bottles in 4 days... that is a lot of water)
7) A variety of nipples for your bottles. I will explain more later, but slow, medium, and fast flow to be on the safe side.
8) A little notebook to journal everything into. You think you won't ever forget, but I've been home one week and the details are already fuzzy without the journal.
9) YOUR SENSE OF HUMOR!
10) Your "spiritual eyes". We saw God's fingerprints in every situation and bump we encountered in India. KNOW that He is God and REST in that the entire trip. Couple that with #9 and you'll be in business.

I will close for now.... more to come... stay tuned:)

Homecoming

2010-05-12T19:37:00.001-07:00

I know I promised more details about our actual trip to India, BUT... my dad just sent these pictures of our arrival at the airport in our hometown. I just had to share them because we weren't complete until we were reunited with our homegrown clan! We were greeted at the airport by our children, parents, and my brother with his family. It was precious, low-key, and (to borrow from Mary Poppins) "nearly perfect in every way."

God Blessed America!!

2010-05-11T14:43:00.000-07:00

We are so thankful to be home again!! Travel made us grateful to be US citizens and a part of this wonderful country. We literally wanted to KISS the ground at the airport in Atlanta. We missed our flight home on Saturday night due to the volcanic ash again. We thought we would have to stay in Paris and all we wanted was to be back in the US again. They did finally let our plane leave Paris 3 hours late only to take a huge detour making that flight 11 hours instead of 8 hours. I want to share everything about our trip, but I think I will span it over several posts. For now, I wanted to share what we have all been waiting for... pictures of Joseph with his parents!!! I will also take this opportunity to brag a little. We have nicknamed our child "wonder baby". He amazes us every day with his temperament, spirit, and delightful personality. He is all we could have ever hoped for...we are deeply in love.

Memories of Waiting

2010-04-27T21:19:00.000-07:00

As our time of "waiting for Joseph" comes to an end, I decided to make a slide show of his photos. This will be my last post before traveling and the last photos of our precious son without his family. All of the details of the trip are falling into place. We are blessed beyond measure by so many friends and family members encouraging and helping to make this trip happen on such short notice. Also, our wonderful Tami with Dillon is completely priceless. Seriously DO NOT know what we would do without her! I am so glad we decided to do the trip this way. It is crazy, hectic, a little stressful, BUT at least it is only crazy, hectic stressful for 3 days instead of 2 weeks! It works for us! We will not be taking a computer with us, but I will be calling home and my dad may post prayer requests and updates as I pass those along. Please pray for our precious boys we are leaving in Missouri. They are asking morbid questions and expressing some fear. All I can tell them is that God is in control and will take care of our family. I wish I could promise them that we will come home. I tell them that we will be safe, we will pray, and that we plan to come home with their baby brother next Saturday! We appreciate your prayers for them. Thank you all my Bloggy Friends!

Personalize your own free picture slideshow

Off We Go!!

2010-04-26T19:56:00.000-07:00

We have had a whirlwind kind of a day!!! We thought that we were going to have to wait until Wed or Thursday to make travel plans because we had to wait for the orphanage to get Joseph's passport. Well, we got an email this morning saying that they have it!!! SOOOO, we contacted a travel agent and found out that for just a LITTLE BIT more money, we could land in Kolkata on his Birthday!!! OH MY!! THEN, we will be HOME the day before Mother's day. That means we will be in Missouri with ALL of our children for Mother's Day! No cooler gift than that! We could have waited another week and had one less layover, but have I mentioned that I WANT MY BABY??!! Needless to say... Paris sounds great for a layover! We are leaving THIS THURSDAY!!!!!! Please pray for all of the last minute details. We are packed and the boys are ecstatic. They just want their baby, too. We are to the point that we want this whole thing done and are ready to start our lives as a family of 5!

PASSPORT!!!

2010-04-25T07:02:00.000-07:00

We received wonderful news yesterday! Joseph's passport was issued in India!!!!! I was at work all day and didn't even check our e-mails. I figured we wouldn't hear anything because it was the weekend. Then, I called Bill from work and asked him to read a message from the church regarding Sunday School. He paged me a few minutes later to ask if I had checked messages. I said, "no, why?". Then, he shared the news--- Joseph has a passport!! I guess Tami must have talked to the orphanage yesterday morning and then notified us. Now, we must wait until the orphanage has the physical passport in their hands to buy the tickets, but we are looking at the first week of May for travel!!!! Less than 2 weeks away and we will be holding our Joseph!! We get to call and check with a travel agent Monday for flight availability, but are not allowed to "pull the trigger" and purchase anything until we get the green light from Dillon. Our family is elated and ready to hop a jet plane! Right now, I'm off to worship my Lord! Happy Lord's Day, everyone!

Hardest Wait!

2010-04-19T19:42:00.000-07:00

Okay, so we have been in this adoption for 2 years now and this last step might be the hardest one. He is ours. We know it in our hearts, minds, house,and even LEGALLY.... BBUUUUUTTTTT.... we can't go scoop him up and bring him home yet!!!!!!! We are still waiting on his passport to be completed. UGH! It hasn't even been that long, but each minute is dragging on as I JUST WANT MY BABY!! Enough whining for now. I got a new picture that is DEFINITELY my new fav. He's changing so fast... will I recognize him? Hurry up, passport, before there is no baby left and he is all "big boy":)

Surprising Thoughts

2010-04-07T14:30:00.000-07:00

The "legals" for our Joseph have arrived!!! They are in my/our hands (well, Bill is still at work) and it feels so wonderful, yet sad at the same time. I want to adopt his birth-mother,too!! Somehow, seeing her name and reading the circumstances in print makes me want to bring both of them home... I wonder if anyone ever does that? Am I strange to want to scoop them both out of there together? My reactions were surprising. Yes, I am joyful and anticipatory regarding my sweet Joseph, but how my heart yearns to show her Christ's love as well. Adoption can feel bitter-sweet when you know the reality of why your child became yours. I think I will always feel connected to this young woman through our precious, soulful-eyed Joseph. I will continue to pray for her.

Legals and Packing!!

2010-04-05T20:43:00.000-07:00

Well, tonight was a milestone!!! I actually got out the suitcases and started putting things in them!!! I was amazed by how many long, "flowy" cotton skirts were in my closet. My mother-in-law loaned some things to me and then I had a few. Before I knew it, I had about 9 outfits!!! God works these things out as I didn't want to have to go buy anything if I didn't have to. They may not be the "trendiest", but I'm not a trend-setter, anyway. They look cute, I think, and my husband said I was pretty, so what else matters??!! THEN, I found out our "legals" are in transit from the Tulsa office!!! It is SOOO COOOLLLL to see all of it in writing... very official. Much fun tonight!

Little Man!

2010-04-02T18:17:00.000-07:00

Liberty just sent these pictures!! They are a little fuzzy, but you can tell just how much he has grown. She said that he has NO TEETH yet which I am thrilled with! She said just 4 big bumps on his gums. Bill said we'd better pack Motrin. He looks like such a little man!

Movin' and Groovin'

2010-04-02T06:32:00.000-07:00

Well, well, well... things are MOVING in India!!! The judge signed our court order and it will be on it's way!!!! We also got word that a temporary license is being issued to the babie's home meaning REFERRALS WILL FINALLY GO OUT to families waiting! Maybe some referrals will be accepted in the next few weeks and I will be able to take some pictures of their new little babies for them when we go!!

Keep praying, dear friends. This last leg of the adoption journey has really made me examine prayer life and let me tell you... God is listening to his children. PLEASE PRAY FOR LIBERTY. She is in India right now and overwhelmed by what she is seeing. The poverty is so difficult to take in, she said. They also had some baggage lost. The baggage included their donations to the orphanage which upset her. She doesn't need to be fretting about that as I know of another family traveling soon who could help them out:)She did get her son, BEN (Joseph's cribmate) and had one comment, "beautiful". Adoption is a beautiful thing.

Great Is Thy Faithfulness

2010-04-01T05:43:00.000-07:00

I was asked by a friend to write a post to share about God's financial provision throughout our adoption process in an effort to encourage others. So many people say things like, "I would love to do it, but we can't afford it". If that is you, keep reading!

We felt called to adoption, but we weren't sure how we were going to pay for it! Like so many adoptive families, we have made some choices which do not make sense to financial advisors. After having children, I slowly cut back my hours at work until we could arrange our schedules so that one of us (either Bill or myself) could be home with the children. This means that I now work 6 days per month as a PRN Speech Therapist at the hospital. My husband works for the State of Missouri as a probation officer. We have a mortgage, but no other debt. We are not high rollers by any American standard. My idea when we started this was that we would just take out a loan and pay it off. People borrow money for "less worthy" causes, I thought. A friend almost knocked me off my feet one day when she said that she was going to pray that we would get through this debt-free. I thanked her and wondered if she had seen our bank account!! Silly girl! WELL---- we are on the brink of travel and have had the money each time to pay the fees... with money for our trip already saved!

It has been nothing short of miraculous. I could outline specifics, but our adoption expenses have quite literally arrived in our mailbox or at our front door! Here are a few examples: My husband was awarded a raise that Missouri said he should have gotten years before. We had no idea that was coming! They gave him the raise and the BACKPAY in a lump sum providentially just before a huge program fee. A family member handed him an envelope once with $1,000 cash inside. This is not a wealthy family member-- totally unexpected and NOT requested. A woman showed up at our front door with an envelope containing $300 with a Bible verse written across the envelope-- I still don't know who did that! I had the opportunity to work some extra hours at work and I helped at a nursing home last summer for a gal on maternity leave a few days per week. My mom offered babysitting to allow me to do that. Will we have nest-egg when we are done?..ummm...no... BUT what a nest!!

My point is this--- If you are called, GOD will equip you! I have not met an adoptive family YET who would tell you otherwise. People ask me ALL THE TIME, "Isn't that expensive?" My husband told me to give them the perfect response. Now, I say..."It costs EXACTLY as much as GOD has provided". Enough said.

GUARDIANSHIP!!!

2010-03-30T12:57:00.000-07:00

I received a call this morning and found out from one of the most precious voices around that WE HAVE GUARDIANSHIP!!!! Tami, from Dillon called this morning and had quite a time getting through our phone line. It seemed like our phone rang off the hook for various reasons this morning. She said she'd been trying for a while and then finally got through:) I think it is so special that she called and I got to scream in her ear ... I'm sure it made her day! HA!! SOOOOO..... you may be thinking, what does that mean exactly. WELLLL, that means that we are Joseph's legal guardians. Now, we need travel Visas, a passport for our little man and we are on the plane!!!!! We are planning the VERY end of April or beginning of May!! There is a good possibility that we will miss his first birthday (April 30th), but not by much!

Now... I'm glad you are wondering what you can do!! PLEASE CONTINUE TO PRAY! Pray for trip preparation, the paperwork, safety, heart preparation for what we are sure to experience and see, Joseph's well-being during this tough transition, packing, hooking up with the right travel agent, and our two homegrown boys while we are doing all of this!!! I know that is a lot to ask, but we know our God is great and listens to His children when we call. Oh...and rejoice with us today!!

More practice at waiting

2010-03-29T19:41:00.000-07:00

Last week was, in a word, HARD. We found out that Joseph finally had his guardianship hearing on Thursday with one little thing missing... THE JUDGE!! He was away at a meeting. Now we wait for a new court date to become his guardians. We have been in the courts of Kolkata since January 3rd in case any of you are counting! It took a few days to lick some wounds and to do the spiritual thing... grumble. Then, my Lord scooped me up, dusted me off, and sent me back into the ring! I was encouraged by the hope that God is still in control and loving us. We don't know why these delays are happening, but I am determined to trust my Lord. Adoption WILL draw you closer to God as you are faced with the reality that there are truly very few things we have control over. We think we have more influence than we do in so many areas of our lives. Ultimately, we are here for one reason only... "to glorify God and enjoy Him forever". It is His good pleasure for us to wait at this time. I told my husband this evening that I think I am finally understanding what it means to wait on the Lord. Maybe we are waiting so long so I can get in some practice!!

I would like to ask each of you reading this post to pray for Joseph and his court date. It is likely this week or next. Our friends are traveling to pick up Joseph's cribmate tomorrow. Please also pray for them. My friend is named Liberty and their son is Ben. She has promised new photos and information regarding his dentition. I am a speech therapist and I don't even know if my kiddo has any teeth yet!! That's driving me nuts!!! THANK YOU for your prayers. That is our greatest need right now!

Baby Shower!

2010-03-18T20:30:00.001-07:00

On March 11, some friends held a baby shower for Joseph. Enjoy the photos!

This free photo slideshow made with Smilebox

Take a Stand, Baby!

2010-03-17T07:53:00.000-07:00

We just got these photos unexpectedly from a Director of a group in Sweden!! I was so longing for my boy and these pictures were like medicine for my soul. I was planning to post Baby Shower pictures today, but these are so much better.

Awakening Hope Once More

2010-03-03T06:31:00.000-08:00

I realize that I haven't posted in a while. Maybe we will call it a bit of an "adoption funk".. or perhaps just overwhelmed with the daily grind. I will never claim to be too busy for something as I firmly believe that you make time for the things you prioritize...but I won't go into that philosophy! ANYWAY--- my last post was borderline depressing, so I thought an update would be in order!

The paperwork snag has turned out to be okay... at least for now. Since then, the judge has approved 3 cases!!! One of them is a new dear friend in Ohio, so we were able to celebrate her victory for Ben (one of Joseph's cribmates!!) We are sincerely hoping and praying that ours will be next, but we have no way of knowing that. God does answer prayers and moves mountains as we were braced for the worst in that scenario.

We received an update on his height and weight yesterday and HE IS GROWING!!! I don't share our concerns for Joseph on this public blog, but we will just say that we realize we won't be signing him up for Mighty Mights Football! He is on the American Pediatrics growth chart for height (27 inches)! His weight is just under 15pounds at 10 months old--- we'll take it!!!

Today, I am feeling so OPTIMISTIC for the first time in a few weeks and it feels wonderful. Sometimes, I think God lets us enter the valleys so we can enjoy the view from the mountain top all the more!

FINALLY... lest I forget to mention my 2 homegrown boys. Thomas J celebrated his 5th birthday in February and I thought I'd share a few pictures. Turner is maturing so quickly at 7 years. We are seeing him begin to understand the things of the Lord which makes us so very excited. If only subtraction would come...:) He is doing a wonderful job on his school lessons. He LOVES history and is turning out to be a great reader. So blessed to have them "on loan" from the Lord!

Bow the Knee

2010-02-07T20:18:00.000-08:00

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We have hit a huge snare in the adoption process in the Kolkata courts. We have processed frustration, anger, fear, and have landed on submission... for now. Our church sang this beautiful song this morning and it ministered to me in a mighty way. I wanted to share it with all of you. We don't understand why this has happened or what it will mean for Joseph and our family, but we are bowing our knees tonight. Pray with us.

A Few More Pictures

2010-01-26T17:26:00.000-08:00

We don't know what happened, but I just got these pictures today. They were taken on the same day as my last post. I wanted to show off his "sitting up" picture and more of those EYES!!! He's 9 months old on January 30th!! COME ON SCRUTINIZATION!!

Precious Peanut

2010-01-18T20:40:00.000-08:00

We have some new photos and a description to share with everyone. A traveling family reported that he seems very small (which we were aware of) and kind of shy. She said that he smiled easily, making eye contact, and is SITTING UP! WHAT A MILESTONE!!! These pictures do not help my anxiousness to get him as he needs his mommy to fatten him up!! A little known fact about me is that I LOVE watching my boys eat! My friends laugh at me, but they are both so picky that I am always thrilled when they have a good meal-- yes, they are 5 and 7 and it still makes me so happy when they chow down. It's funny, my job at the hospital as a Speech Therapist is also all about getting people back to eating food. I'll have my job cut out for me with this wee one, it looks like!!! Turner nicknamed him "Little Joe". IF ANYONE ELSE CALLS HIM JOE, I WILL SEEK AND DESTROY, but it's cute when Turner says it:)

LEMME AT 'EM!!

2010-01-05T06:36:00.000-08:00

I just got these new pictures this morning. They were taken by the homeland tour group on 1/4/10. They make me want to jump into the computer screen to hold my baby!!! I am praying with added zeal today for MARCH!!!! Enjoy these gorgeous pictures and his dreamy eyes!

New Resolutions

2009-12-30T18:51:00.000-08:00

I am so NOT a New Year's Resolution maker! Sure, I need to get acquainted with the treadmill we purchased a year ago and pipe down on the chocolate and pizza, but well... I just really don't care so much about that at this stage of my life. Maybe I will get skinny...maybe I won't, but I am not going to lie to myself about it! What I AM going to do is revisit some amazing books and try to digest the material more thoroughly. There is also a new book my husband got for me as a Christmas gift that may not be as "well known" to some of you, but I can already strongly recommend it as a resource to both humble and inspire. I have decided to list these books in an effort to hold myself accountable and to maybe help others find some great books without wading through the others to find the "greats". These books are my favorites on various topics. Let me know what you think if you get a chance to read or have already read a few of them.

This is the book I got for Christmas. It is a collection of Puritan Prayers. WOW! It is inspiring to read their insight and devotion to the supremacy of God!

You can take every book you have ever read on marriage and turn it into the used bookstore. After you read and "digest" this book (which I plan to re-read this year), you will have a stronger marriage and a closer walk with the Lord.

I recommend this book A LOT when I am asked about homeschooling. I do not find him offensive at all because we homeschool, but he is very direct about the importance of Christian education for our children. If you have ever considered homeschooling or just want to understand the "weird neighbors" :) this is a priceless book.

I have listed this one last, but it will be the first one I re-read this year... I wonder why?? This parenting book is just amazing! I have read SOOOOO MAAAANNNYYYY, but this one just takes all of the twaddle and boils it down to the main point. In addition to the adoption education (I don't have any favorites yet... any suggestions?), I think just wise parenting and strengthening our relationships with the Lord and our husbands may be the best things we can do for our newly adopted children.

I hope this blog post isn't too much like an info-mercial, but I love it when people recommend books to me. Sometimes I disagree with the recommendation, but it is always a journey to read up!!!! Well, I'm off to finish an adoption book tonight! Happy reading!!!

NOC!!!

2009-12-22T07:52:00.000-08:00

We heard this morning by e-mail that our NOC was approved!!!! It was our prayer that we would get it before Christmas and be ready for the court proceedings when they re-open in January!!! "The Lord has done great things for us and we are filled with joy!" Psalms 126:3
This only took 28 days!!! We were told it would take 2 months or longer!!

Friends and family-- I am going to ask you to do something for us. Please pray that the current interim judge remains on the bench through our court process which will begin in January. He/she has proven reliability and gets the cases through in a timely manner--unlike the prior appointee, I understand. Thank you for your prayers!!!

Yuletide Crooning

2009-12-21T19:00:00.000-08:00

We were blessed with tickets to Silver Dollar City for Christmas. Thank you, "Grandma Lena"!! It was such a magical evening for all of us! There was just one thing missing.... I wonder if Joseph would have been as captivated as his brothers! I am so enjoying each moment with my family this season as I want to live each day contented and delighted with the joys contained therein. It is a struggle to put our baby boy into the backs of our minds knowing that if somehow the governments and red-tapers would put the children FIRST, he would be in our arms this Christmas!!! There is a reason for everything, I tell myself. I also remind myself that the laws are in place (at least in part) for the protection of the children I cherish. My dear husband reminded me that GOD IS SOVEREIGN-- even over governments. He has also ordained each day in the life of our much-loved Joseph!! SO I will just say to my sweet one, "We miss you, baby--- Merry Christmas. When you get home, I'll show you the movies of your brothers singing to you!!!"

Merry Christmas, Everyone!!!

2009-12-18T19:23:00.000-08:00

I had the best Christmas present in my inbox tonight!!! A non-resident Indian family (that means a family of Indian heritage living outside of India) adopted a daughter from Joseph's orphanage 2 1/2 years ago. They were in Kolkata visiting family and dropped by ISRC. I was told that they took "a few pictures" and video while they were there. My guy made the cut and got on film!!! We weren't expecting more photos until January or February when another family will be travelling. What a blessing!! I am a happy mommy tonight!!!

Santa Bequeathing Wisdom

2009-12-17T19:55:00.001-08:00

I just have to share this with everyone. Bill and I were really struggling with the big jolly elf this Christmas. We have done the "Santa" thing with our little guys in years past, but for some reason it was a matter of conscience this year. I couldn't understand why I was experiencing a catch in my spirit every time we were talking about it with the boys. It was always such fun before! Well, a friend was able to articulate my reservations for me in a conversation and then I read a wonderful article on the "Desiring God" website reiterating the same ideas. (click on the John Piper link to read it) It was an AHA! moment for us as parents. Santa is said to have many of the same attributes that God possesses. He can see everyone, he knows all this stuff about you, he can go all these places in one night (kinda omnipresent), etc... Then, you turn around one day and tell them that Santa's not real, but that God is real and all of those things are true about God!! YIKES! We knew that we had to tell them the truth right away as they are forming their beliefs in God RIGHT NOW.

Okay-- so we break the news to the boys and wait with bated breath for their responses. Our almost 7-year old goes over to the window and stares out into the yard just thinking. Bill and I look at each other like "OOPS- we've devastated our child." Well, our little guy turns around with relief on his face and says, "So that means I don't have to be good to get my presents?!"

After a few chuckles, a talk about grace with our son, and reflection on that response, I realized that I have held that view of God myself in the past. I believed that His blessings in my life were based on whether I was a "good girl" or not. I have been freed from this false reality in the Truth that God's gift of salvation was given freely and could never be earned by any "goodness" in me. Just as we love our children unconditionally and give them good gifts because they are our family, God loves us unconditionally as His adopted children through the blood of Christ. PLEASE embrace that truth this Christmas... No matter what you do with the JOLLY OLE ST NICK!!! MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

Here We Go!

2009-12-15T20:14:00.001-08:00

LOVE THAT GOOFY GRIN!

Meeting my friend Traci on October 31st

Sleeping so sweetly!

I never thought I would ever be a "blogger", but waiting on Joseph requires a Journal! Rather than my usual private meanderings with a pen, I guess I am hoping to encourage others and recommend some resources that have strengthened us. Allow me to introduce... us! We are a family of 4 living in Missouri waiting to become a family of 5 through the adoption of Joseph Pallab in Kolkata, India. More to come on the events leading up to present, but we officially began our adoption adventure on my husband's birthday-- April 11, 2008. It was in our hearts for many years before that! After months of waiting for our "daughter", we were moved by God's hand to consider a son on October 16, 2009. I heard of the need for families to consider boys as all of the families in process were requesting girls. When I called my husband, he became very quiet over the phone and said that he had just been praying that God would purify our motives in the adoption. He thought that meant that we were to consider more special needs than we had "planned" (ha!- our plans had nothing to do with it) on. Without hesitation, we were in agreement on this one. Bring on the boys!!! It's funny... when we started this process, it was important to me that we chose a country program that allowed us to make choices regarding gender and special needs. By the end of it all, I did not want those choices to be left up to us! I trust our Sovereign God more than I trust us!!! By 9:00 that evening, his photo and medical information arrived in my inbox.

He is our precious boy and we knew it immediately. Whenever our two bioboys were born, I remember this flood of the purest emotion I had ever felt before. The identical flood occurred when I first saw his fuzzy, 2-D face in the referral picture. God did not have to allow those feelings immediately, but it was wonderful confirmation! Bill (my husband) wanted to sign the papers right away-- we found it difficult to wait on our pediatrician to review his records. We waited and finally signed on October 21, 2009.

Now, we are waiting for the NOC (No objection Certificate) to continue the process. We were told from the agency not to expect it until January, but we are still praying for that to be our Christmas gift!!! During our wait, several families have blessed us with photos!! Feast your eyes on our Indian Prince!