Thankful Thursday

 To view our travel for Ivy, click here.

Welcome to our new blog! I had felt for a while that since this was our family blog, our old title, "Our Journey East" was somehow wrong. Yes, initially, our blog was for our adoption travels, but now it is to keep family and friends up-to-date on our happenings. I'd also like to take this first post to share some things with you all.

Many of you know our experience and heartache over the last few months. Some know more details than others. Regardless of the details, you all know that not being able to adopt Maggie was one of the most difficult things that has happened in our lives. Mike and I were truly filled with grief.

As I told someone else, this loss of Maggie has been like a pregnancy loss. For 10 months we anticipated and prepared for a new child. But it did not happen. I've lost children, so I do know both kinds of grief. After our losses of our daughters, then the twins, we were ready to try again. So, here we are. After some contact with our agency, we discussed asking China for another referral. It was not easy. There were some days I did not want to deal with it. But, in my heart, I felt that I had to ask or else I would never know if God had another child for us all along. China graciously has allowed us to have another referral. I won't bore you with details, but after many conversations and much praying and fasting, we are planning on adopting Ma Xue from Guangdong (same province as Joy). She is currently living in an orphanage and she is quite a cutie. Jordan remarked that she looks more Indian than Chinese. I agree. She is quite tiny. In the spring, Ma Xue weighed just under 35 pounds and is 46 inches tall. It doesn't seem she is much bigger than Eva. Just taller, I suppose.


So, we wait again. This whole adoption process will either drive me crazy or make me a very patient person. I think I've become a little bit of both. I've been hesitant to become excited. I don't know how family and friends will feel. I cannot help but consider the past. Maybe I've just become a bit more guarded, knowing that I don't have God all figured out, and that He is always amazing and surprising me each day of my life. I'm so thankful for His healing of our hearts and His graciousness towards His children. I'm humbled that He cares so much about little me.