Happy New Year- The Year of the Rat

Today is the the Chinese New Year or Tet as it is called in Vietnam. It is the biggest celebration of the Asian countries. The celebrating will go well into next week. I know this because we were told NOTHING will happen with the adoption process until probably the 15th because everything is closed. The U.S.needs to celebrate this,in the middle if the long winter,everyone just takes a week off and spends it with their family(in FLORIDA). We did get some good news this week,we are #131, which is 10 better than we thought. The Lord willing we will at least have a picture by this time next year. Let's hope the year of the Rat is a good one:)

Until we are together

I WILL NOT LEAVE YOU ORPHANS, I WILL COME TO YOU
JOHN 14:18

Encouraging

Today I met with Brandon's English teacher, who recently returned from Vietnam. She adopted a baby boy. It was a very encouraging visit,as she showed me pictures of Vietnam,the orphanage and told me of her trip. There is much more to see there then I realized. She eased a lot of my anxieties about cultural differences. She enjoyed the food and said her experience with the Vietnamese people was wonderful. Many came up to her and said"lucky baby" One young girl came up to her and said"no mother, No father" She pointed to her son and said "New mother,New Father" Thank You. She said it was very touching. It was so great talking to someone who has been through it all. The last thing she said to me really touched my heart. she said, " I know sometimes it is hard to wait but you will end up with YOUR child ,the one that was meant for you and your family. Hearing that makes waiting a little bit easier.

Grandpa to the Rescue

Well,after sitting for 6 months in our family room,much to my dismay nothing had been done on the dollhouse we bought last summer. Chuck mentioned it to his dad and he said he'd take a look at it. We gave it to him on January 1st and what this man has accomplished in 4 stinkin' days is amazing!! Go Ernie Go. We dropped off paint yesterday. I am so excited now at the idea of this actually getting done & I am so gratful that he was willing to put the time and effort into this. I am hoping to keep putting pictures up as it progresses

Happy New Year

Well, another year has come and gone but this year was a year that we moved forward on the adoption and officially became a "waiting family". Though in my heart we've been a waiting family for MANY years. Our SW came out on the 2nd because the homestudy has to be updated yearly. She said we have about 100 families infront of us But 100 behind us also. I told her I had a good feeling about this year-she said I do too. That was encouraging. Brandon has to go through quite a bit of paperwork and fingerprinting by his 18th birthday in September, since he will be a legal adult. That seems so funny to me, I have gotten other letters informing me of his upcoming "adulthood". I think to my self, These people must be crazy, that's no adult- THAT'S MY BABY!
She said we should be getting an ok to start on our dossier soon(GOOD NEWS). Well, We will all just have to sit back and see what that wonderful, wacky God of ours has in store for us all in 2008. 2007 was filled with so many blessings and that is what I hope for 2008 for my family, friends and a little orphan girl waiting somewhere in Vietnam.

Merry Christmas

Mung Chua Giang Sinh or Merry Christmas Abby. Wherever you are, you are being thought of,loved and prayed for. I thank God for the progress that has been made this past year and I ask that he continue to guide us on this very long rocky journey. Another year will begin soon, I pray that it be a year of hope and promise toward you and that a year from now I might find myself a little closer to the day when we are "Finally Five"

Third Day

Chuck and I had an Amazing time this Friday. We Went to see the Christian band Third day in concert.It has been a long time since I have felt God has sent me,what I call "a sign of hope". These are little unexpected things that happen in a seemingly normal day -that give me hope that he still wants us on the adoption path. Well, At the concert which had already been an amazing experience, the guitarist begins to share the story of how even though they have 3 girls, they felt called to adopt and began the process to adopt a girl from China. They knew it would be at least a year but then they started to experience bumps along the way and that one year became two and longer. He shared how-The love you feel for someone you've never met is amazing, the waiting is so hard, so his wife asked him to try to put the feelings into words. This is the song they sang. it's called "Merry Christmas"

There's a little girl trembling on a December morn
Crying for mama's arms
At an orphanage just outside a little China town
There the forgotten are

But half a world away I hang the stockings by the fire
And dream about the day when I can finally call you mine

It's Christmas time again but you're not home
Your family is here and yet you're somewhere else alone
And so tonight I pray that God will come and hold you in his arms
And tell you from my heart I wish you Merry Christmas

As I hang the tinsel on the tree and watch the twinkling lights
I'm warmed by the fire's glow
Outside the children tumble in a wonderland of white,
Make angels in the snow

But half a world away you try your best to fight the tears
And hope that heaven's angels come to carry you here

It's Christmas time again but you're not home
Your family is here and yet you're somewhere else alone
And so tonight I pray that God will come and hold you in his arms
And tell you from my heart I wish you Merry Christmas

Christmas is a time to celebrate the holy child
and we celebrate his perfect gift of love
He came to earth to give his life
and prepare a place for us
so we could have a home with him above

It's Christmas time again and now you're home
Your family is here so you will never be alone
So tonight before you go to sleep, I'll hold you in my arms
And I'll tell you from my heart, and I'll tell you from my heart
I wish you Merry Christmas

Needless to say I was a blubbering mess at the end, as pictures of his family and orphanage children were flashed on the screen but you'll notice the last verse, she is home. They finally brought her home four months ago. That would have been enough of a moment for me but it gets better. Chuck got us backstage passes and we met the band. I shared with him our journey- he gave me so much hope. I just feel like it is going to happen. We too will someday bring home our little girl. It was an amazing night and one I won't soon forget. Thanks God, for the moment!