Because She's Our Daughter

So sorry but this is rather long. Grab a big mug of coffee & a scone...

A couple of you mentioned in your comments that I had failed to tell you all about K-man's back injury. Ooops! Actually, I decided that since he doesn't like to air his ailments like I do, I better not tell it to the world. But thank you so much for your concern and please pray for him as he is continuing to heal.

On that ntoe, his pain meds seem to be putting him into a pretty deep sleep because he has been sawing enough logs to build a small cabin, leaving me wide-eyed in the middle of the wee hours. I finally told him this morning that he was officially on probation. He said, "Well what does that mean?" to which I replied, "We'll let that remain a mystery to keep you on your toes!" I'll let you know the outcome of that. Though I will note here that at this moment he is cleaning up the kitchen and insisted that I sit and enjoy my morning coffee! He's so great! (and I'm happy to say that threat or no threat, he would do that for me anyway...:)

I forgot to mention yesterday (and I CAN'T believe I didn't remember to put it on my list of thankful things...I may go back and add it) that it was one year ago that we first saw Lucy on the SN list with our agency and our hearts haven't regained their shape from the melted stage since. OH THANK YOU JESUS!!!!!!!!!! I weep every time I think about it. God has blessed us way beyond what we deserve. And now we are at it again!! WOO HOO!!!

It's interesting to me watching people react when I tell them we are adopting a 13 year old (and since it has been such a short time since getting Lucy, it often feels like I am telling people I'm pregnant just six months after giving birth! We're like rabbits.). In some cases, it's almost painful to see them keep their positive, excited face on. When we first started our adoption journey, thinking we were getting a baby, everyone would just squeal with delight (though they thought we were off our rockers starting over with a baby) at the thought of a little Chinese baby girl!! Then when we found Lucy on the Special Needs list and began telling people we weren't getting a baby after all but a 2 1/2 year old! Wow. You could almost see in their eyes "WHY IN THE WORLD WOULD YOU ADOPT A TODDLER AT THE PEAK OF THE TERRIBLE TWO'S??" Ummm, because she's our daughter, duh!

So now the announcement of a 13 year old leaves everyone (ok, not EVERYONE...we do have many all-on-board supporters) a bit shocked. I just can see their brains buzzing, "Ok, you adopt a toddler and now you're getting a child just entering the teen stage?? Are you crazy??" Again, ummm yes, because she's our daughter...how can we NOT?? (Watch out, our next adoption might be a menopausal woman! Ha! Oh no, that would be me!)

I know that for many people adopting, they are doing so because of infertility and they desperately want a BABY. I TOTALLY get that!! But for us, we are adopting simply because we love children and we want to give a child a home...no matter their age.

I want you to read something that one of my blog friends posted to an adoption yahoo group:

I've actually talked recently to more then a few people in China about this. One girl I've talked with volunteers with an orphanage while her husband is there teaching English. She said that the kids who age out either end up in prostitution, or commit suicide(she said this was too common), the lucky ones end up working in a factory, or can get a job with the orphanage. I'm not sure when they are actually "released" onto the street..........I could try to find out. I can't imagine it being at 14 but I suppose its possible. She told me that ALL the kids want to be adopted, she said that even in the "worst case scenario" adoption where it was a way super hard transition that they would be so much better off being adopted because they would at least have opportunity and family to call their own. If they stay in China as an orphan the future is very hopeless...........................

Oh can't you see why adoption at this age is so crucial? I guess my point in all this is to perhaps reach even one family who is possibly struggling with the idea of an older child...maybe you kinda want to but can't let go of what that cute-baby scenario looks like in your head. Or all you can think about is the what-if's in a negative sense (power struggles, difficult attachment, rage...) and YES those may be things that you (and we) might deal with. But WHAT IF it turned into the biggest blessing you ever received....WHAT IF you realize how incomplete your family was without this child...WHAT IF we all just trust God to lead us and let go of those self-made family portraits in our brains and let Him show you what it should look like.

So for anyone who maybe cringes when we tell them we are adopting an older child, I can assure you we are every bit as excited (if not even a little more) as if we were getting a coo-cooing baby! Yippee JESUS!!

PRAYER REQUESTS: Our homestudy will be complete once we get our fingerprint stuff back from the FBI....PLEASE pray that this comes in SOON!!