Getting there...

Havn't posted again for awhile! I always have lots of thoughts of things I want to say, but its just seems easier to just do a quick update of our progress on facebook. International adoption is all about hurry up and wait and then do it again, and again! Things were moving so fast for us. We got matched unexpectedly, LOA 2 weeks later. Then we had to start waiting for things. Then holidays here and now holiday in China. My good friend told me the other day that its like we were on this super fast moving train, our heads were spinning, and then all of a sudden it came to a stop. I said yes, that is what it feels like. Nothing has ever totally stopped, but Jan. was a long month of waiting! I did learn some lessons though from waiting for Caleb and Joshua, two very different journeys. I certainly havn't been as anxious and totally consumed with it constantly as I was before. Don't get me wrong, I think about my daughter all the time and do want to hurry up and get her yesterday! But I think I have learned to rest in God a bit more, even though it is still hard. No one but a fellow adoptive parent understands that it feels like being 9 months pregnant and being told, oh sorry, you just have to keep waiting! So our paperwork went to China on Tuesday to the US consulate and hopefully has arrived. The consulate will be closed the 9th-13th for Chinese New Year. We have to wait for an approval called Article 5 to be issed by the consulate. After that we wait for the Chinese government to issue our travel invitation/travel approval. We thought for sure we would go in March, but had an almost 2 week delay waiting for our fingerprints that our immigration officer didn't know were already done and our paperwork was just sitting there! So we are right on the edge of going in March, if not then April. So yes, I will be diappointed if we don't go in March, again the 9 mos. pregnant thing. But I am trusting in God's timing. I am still trying to prepare because if we do go in March we may not have a lot of notice. Trying to be stocked up on things, buying things for the trip and for Noelle, cooking, baking, and still trying to raise funds. I cannot wait to be Noelle's mommy and hold her and love her and have her belong to our family. God does not leave us as orphans but comes for us. Please pray for these final weeks of hard waiting, for all of the preparation for everyone and everything, and the rest of the finances we need.