I quit

The blog, that is.

The purpose of this blog was to keep people informed during our trip to China.  I never intended to keep going and being a "blogger".

If we ever kayak across the pacific again, I'll let you know!

Thanks for following along.

You might want to sit down for this one.

Even though the last two months have been hands-down the most difficult two months of our lives and we know we've got a really long, bumpy road ahead of us and regardless of the fact that this situation is not "what we signed up for"...

I'd do it again.

No, this is not an announcement.

I'm still 100% pro-adoption.

Since God has so generously let us in on what he is doing, we're not about to throw up our hands and walk off the job just because we run into occasional hard times.  

We're not giving up. How could we! Even though on the outside it often looks like things are falling apart on us, on the inside, where God is making new life, not a day goes by without his unfolding grace.  

(2 Cor. 4 Message)

I try to talk to people about adoption with gentleness and respect but it's hard.  Once you've seen the need, you want to take people by the shoulders and shake them and say, "Enough with the excuses!  Trust God!  Just do it!"  

I am holding myself back from writing more...I'll save that for another time...if I get brave enough.

If you are looking to get your toes wet and take part in caring for orphans, there are lots of great ways to do that and tons of websites that can help you.  Here is one that I think is a good place to begin www.internationalvoiceoftheorphan.com

Two Months

Gotcha day
Dec. 5

Painting at home
 Feb. 5

It's been two months exactly.  

Only two months.  

It feels like two months...under water.  Seriously.  This has been the longest two months of my life.  And two and a half weeks of it were spent in China.  

In two months...

Her hair is a teensy bit longer.  

She hasn't gained any weight.  (Ends up she brought home some internal stowaways who had not been cleared by homeland security...ahem...)  

She continues to mostly speak Chinese.  

She still surprises me every morning by being here.  

It's all just so...recent.  

I actually had a total stranger say to me today, "Oh, she's transitioning so well!"  

I will assume this person had good intentions.  But I may have had the momentary thought of kicking her in the shin.  

This transition has gone about as well as a snowman on a Caribbean cruise.  Lots of meltdowns. 

These last two months as we've brought Josie home, God has re-taught us about what "home" really is.  And this isn't it.  To be comfortable, happy, have perfect children, live the "dream"...that's not what we're made for.  That's not what we're here for.  This is not our home!   

Try that.  Next time you're tempted to complain about life here, if you are a Christ-follower, say it out loud..."This is not our home!"  It really puts things into perspective.  For me, at least.