How Adoption applies to Us

Yesterday, I was reading a devo by Mary Beth Chapman - she's the mom a both biological and adopted kiddos.  She wrote about the first time they were in a foreign land, sitting in the hotel waiting for the adoption officials to bring their new daughter to them for the first time.  She wandered if she would love this child like her others, if the child would cry, how she would react, etc.....She then told of how when they arrived and handed her this baby girl, dressed in worn and dirty garments - that she immediately loved her like her own.  But, more profoundly - that she was also immediately reminded of how much our relationship with God is so similar.  Even on our best days - we aren't any more than filthy children dressed in rags standing before our awesome God  - who has the power to take us into His arms and love us as His own - adopting us into His family to be His child.  What a beautiful picture of redemption. 

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waiting.......................to hear from China...................pray for everything to go well and to move quickly so we can get baby Lori home...........................

HuHots and Hotness

We just spent some great time with some fantastic friends who took us to a hot new place called HuHots in St Louis.  It was so fun and we highly recommend it if you are ever in the city.  When we got home - our A/C had stopped working.  So "hotness" seems to be the theme of the last 24 hours!!  Ughhhh

Update on Waiting

So many of you ask how the adoption is coming when you see us and here is our latest update - EVERYTHING has finally been sent off to China.  All the paperwork we have been completing since late January has now been compiled, notorized, state certified, authenticated by the Chinese embassy, translated into Chinese, and sent off.  This entire package is called our Dossier.  We have been told that this is the hardest part of the adoption - because Chinese processing time is running up to 8 months.  Once we hear from them, then the wait for final documents from US Immigration, and then we can make travel arrangements.  At this point - we are hoping to have Lori home by Christmas - but in reality it could be around Valentine's Day.  So, just pray that the approvals all come through quickly and that everything is expedited.  We'll keep you posted!