Fully funded.

I can hardly even believe I was just able to type that. Let me type it again....

Fully funded. 

Us. Joseph. 

This post is not to brag about our accomplishments (for they are not "ours") or to rub it in and make anyone feel bad who isn't there yet. If you know me at all, then you know my heart. This post is solely designed to encourage.  To give hope.

This post is for you--you know who you are--the one with the open heart who feels that tug to adopt a child, but feels the pressure of financial restraints and then pushes the idea away.

This post is especially for you.

Let me ask you a question...If you knew, beyond the shadow of a doubt, that your adoption expenses would be completely covered, would you do it? 

Would you then allow yourself to be immeasurably blessed?

Months ago, I remember reading posts about families being "fully funded," and thinking, "that could never happen for us."  Yet, at the same time, I remember--this time last year--when our adoption journey began, promising my husband that God would show up for us. And boy did He.

HE DOES.

And He uses all of the people around us to do it. People that you'd never even dream would want to help you. God's good people will come out of the woodwork to help you. There are AMAZING grant organizations (Show Hope and JSC Foundation to name a couple), too. His provision is everywhere.

You just can't be afraid to lean on it.

Please, oh please, friends whose hearts yearn to love the least of these through adoption, know that He does equip the called. Don't let money be the thing that holds you back from adoption. Ever. The treasures that await you on the other side are far too worth it.

He does provide. I promise He will. And I would be honored to help you...to coach you...to guide you...to pray for you...to walk you through it all.

I feel so blessed to be taking this leap again. I feel so blessed period.

And I want you to feel that blessed, too.

Joseph Updates!

As we've waited for various approvals in this adoption process--and now as we anxiously await travel approval--we've become quite curious about our son. So we recently compiled a whole bunch of questions, which Holt condensed into a great little list for us, and submitted to China.

A few days ago, when I returned home from a beach play date with Charlie, we were surprised by an email update from our agency with all of our questions answered! Along with three gorgeous pictures of Joseph, smiling in all of them (and even being goofy in one of them), we also learned some other things that make us feel like he is God's perfect little fit for our family! So heartwarming! These are some of the things we learned...we are so excited to meet our son!

He likes his bath. 

He likes to drink milk. He also likes fruit and candy. 

He likes to play with toys. 

His favorite color is red. 

He likes to watch cartoons and read cartoon books.

There is nothing that scares him.

He doesn’t need anything to help him fall asleep but just lies on the bed by himself. He sleeps in his own small bed and sleeps with lights off. 

He is closest to his caregivers.

He likes to be held and to be close, which is the way to comfort him.

According to the updated measurements, he is three inches shorter than Charlie and about seven pounds lighter! 

His nickname, as we suspected, is “Xiao Xiao" which was Madi's nickname in China, too!

 

 

When I'm five...

The other night at dinner, Charlie began to volunteer random details about what's going to happen when he turns five. I don't think he quite realizes that this is happening in only two months!

Anyway, after his list began to get longer, Madi shouted, "Mommy!  You need to write this down so he will remember what he said!"  She, too, knew that his good intentions might be bigger than he can grasp.

It started like this.

"When I five, I'm guzzin to be patient." (side note: he meant "going to"...I would've corrected him, but I was way too interested to hear what he had to say.)

"Oh really," I replied. "What else are you going to do when you turn five?"

"I guzzin to eat lettuce."

"And I'm guzzing to eat green light foods and drinks."

"And I won't hit myself." (sigh)

"And I guzzin to help!"

"I'm guzzin to vacuum da house."

"I guzzin to say peeze and thank you."

"I guzzin to pull people's chairs out for dem."

"And I'm not guzzin to suck my fingers."

(That's the point at which Madi instinctively knew this conversation must be properly documented.)

"And I not guzzin to ask why."

Whoa. What?

I instantly remembered that, earlier in the week, he and his best buddy had a little argument. Basically, his best friend was sent into a tailspin of tears because Charlie was relentlessly asking him "why?" I completely understand how that could happen...especially when two almost-five year olds are involved. It obviously affected Charlie to the point that he figured he shouldn't ask the question why anymore.

Mama put a quick stop to that thought.

"But Charlie," I explained, "We want you to ask why. Because when you ask why, that means your little brain is thinking. We don't ever want you to stop asking why! Ever!"

I could almost feel his intense relief.  So we scratched that one off the list.

"And I not guzzin to ask why."

..."I'm guzzin to be patient."

He ended with the same one he started with. At least he's consistent.

So there it is. All documented here on our bloggy blog. We will be sure to bring this post to his attention on or after September 16th whenever necessary. Especially when those two middle fingers gravitate to his mouth like magnets. If he delivers on the patience thing, that would be a bonus of ginormous proportions.