What a difference a year makes...

This picture was taken around a year ago and Matthew was still at MBHOH.

Matthew at Maria's Big House of Hope, spring 2012

 

This time last year we were knee deep in paperwork and in the process of our home study.  However, we were excited to be working in a forward direction to find our son. A son that God had placed in our hearts and spurred us to find and bring home. This time last year, we had started to let our family and friends know about our plans to adopt, some embraced the idea with us and some thought we were a little crazy. Back then we had so many worries - would we able to afford the adoption, going to a country half way around the world, flying home with a toddler, will we be able to handle a child with "special needs", were we going to disrupt our lives too much adding a little one to the mix, and having enough love and time for a third child without short changing Shelby and Robbie. 

Can I tell you that God takes care of all the details when it's something close to his heart.

Matthew at home, spring 2013

- When we started the adoption process, we applied for grants and didn't get any. A dear dear friend and her family offered to tithe 10% from the salary from her contracted position and wrote us a check each month during that time. It was a blessing to have someone believe in us that much and often her check was the amount we were "missing" to a tee.  Sweet relatives sent a check at Christmas that ended up covering a car repair that occurred a few days after the check was given. Things just seemed to be provided for all this past year. The day after we picked up Matthew, we received an email in China letting us know of some unexpected money - it covered all of our remaining expenses.   The person sending the email had no idea of our expenses.  We cannot take the credit for any of this, it was all by God's provision.

- Foreign travel, that was an easy one. Now, I feel like I could go just about anywhere.   Flying home with a toddler - not pretty, but accomplished!

- Special needs... Who doesn't have a special need? It all boiled down to, if Shelby or Robbie had (insert special need), wouldn't we do everything humanly possible without a thought? However, I will be freaking out when Matthew is in the hospital and surgery scares me to death.  I worry how others will treat Matthew at school, will they see him different? Scars? What is worse to think about is how all things would be for Matthew if he didn't have a family through all of it - that would be the scary part. 

- Yes our life is disrupted!! Guess what? He's just what we needed and truly he blesses us more than we could ever do for him. So often we are self centered and selfish with our time. What an interruption to have someone come kiss your cheek and hug your leg. Who thinks the world of you for just being there. I love getting to see the world through the eyes of someone who is experiencing just about everything for the first time.  

-Short changing Shel and Ro? Yes there is less time to go around, but what do we hear from them all the time since bringing Matthew home???  Another little brother or sister would be nice!  Their hearts have been opened to little ones and they get to see first hand how love grows when there isn't even any biological reason to. They already know at a young age the importance of protecting the fatherless and hopefully will adopt someday themselves.   It seems a little crazy to think about with college and surgeries looming and it did take us 17 years the first time around. So the idea is definitely tucked into our heart, we'll just have to wait and see what God has planned for us.

Oh what a difference a year makes!

Happy 4 month Gotcha Day!

 

Love my little Chinese American! Am I ever excited to see the good plans that God has for this little one! 

 

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.  You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.

- Jeremiah 29:11-13

Busy spring

Czech Republic - Heritage Day

Sorry it's been so long since I posted! Jeff has been super busy at work, so not a a lot of down time for me to blog. This time of year is just plain busy anyway. Shelby is counting down the days till she becomes a senior, so excited for her, but a I am a little sad this time is already knocking on our door. Marching band season starts early this year, so thankfully August won't be so chocked full. Robbie is counting his last days of elementary school, too. Seems like they work in a dozen important things for him at school before the year ends - kickball playoffs (his class won the fifth grade championship!) Heritage day, Dare graduation, and a band concert to name a few.



Kickball!

Robbie's teacher and coach

winning team

Matthew with the "almost senior" Shelby

 

Matthew is really just blossoming. I can't imagine life without him. Life defiantly moves at a different pace for me now that he is here, but my new normal is starting to feel ... well normal. More words are slowly coming and we said goodbye to bottles last month, too. He is climbing stairs really well and he still enjoys helping me with EVERYTHING. He loves playing in the sink, playing legos and having books read to him. 

 

 

 

 

We took our first camping trip of the season and Matthews first camping ever. It went really well. He loved toasted marshmallows and he maintained a safe distance from the fire on our tiny campsite. There wasn't much shade there, so Matthew wanted to get up with the sun on the first morning. He isn't one to ever want to miss anything. I got smart the second night and covered all the windows in fleece blankets! The campground we stayed was in amish country. We visited the local sites, bought some cheese, and just hung out. It was really cool to see the amish plowing the fields just out our back window.

 

However, the past few weeks have been  bittersweet. First, we received great news that one of the families in our adoption group is already gearing up to go back to China to adopt another child. Their sweet daughter Emmie is the same age as Matthew and they are adding a son the same age. Makes my heart just soar to know that another little one is going to have a whole new life in a fabulous family. However the very next day, we received news that a little girl who had a serious heart condition in our adoption group, passed away. Words can't do justice to how heartbreaking this is. I know this sweet girl is in the arms of the angels and she passed away as a precious daughter in a family to call her very own.