A dose of sweetness and a little crazy...

Let's start with the crazy...we decided to get fingerprinted last monday so we could check it off our list of adoption to-do's. That morning we wake up to Rollins with a fever and feeling pretty sick. Derek goes on to work and we plan on meeting at the police department in a few hours. So, I send the big kids out to get in the car as I grab my bag and Henry and then I hear a blood curdling scream from Anne Rainey. I come out and she has slipped on a patch of ice on the stone patio and is laying with her head smashed up against one of the stone steps. Now I'm thinking we may be headed to the doctor instead... but I quickly realize she is more mad than hurt. She stands up, takes one step and immediately slips on the same patch of ice again. She refuses to change clothes even though her whole rear side and legs are soaking wet and freezing... so off we go with one wet child and one child who is looking more pale and sick by the minute. We get there and go in this tiny tiny room with all 5 of us. As the police officer is filling out our papers, he begins to sweat profusely... like sweat dripping everywhere. Then as he is printing me, his hands begin shaking uncontrollably. So bad that he had to stop multiple times. Poor guy just kept on saying "I think I'm coming down with something." I'm not a doctor but I think he had the flu.... so then I'm freaking out a bit as the 5 of us sit in this small room getting bathed in germs. I'm just praying the prints are ok between all the shaking he was doing as he rolled my fingers and the fact that he put different dates on every form and his signature totally changed as his shaking worsened. We got out and loaded up with sanitizer!! Rollins was pale and also shaking by the time we got home... ended up being strep. It was all very bizarre and left me thinking that if this was our fingerprinting experience which is such a small part of the process, this has the potential to be a very wild ride! But at least we will have some fun stories to tell, right?

Now onto the sweetness! I mentioned that the kids are super excited. They have already made paintings and drawings to give "the little girl from China when she comes home." Anne Rainey also keeps asking "Is she for me?" I'm wondering if she is picturing a baby doll rather than a real person... Anyway, when we first told them, Derek threw in "but don't tell this to anyone right now." Which I knew would last a millisecond with Rollins. So two days later, we were at the mall and had our first moment of Rollins telling a total stranger (which has happened countless times since). We were in Gus Meyer where Derek was looking at some clothes (let me add, we do not really shop there but they are closing the men's department so had some good sales!) and Rollins asked Derek if he could tell the salesman our news. He was a super nice man in mid 40s. Rollins proceeds to tell him "we are adopting a little girl from China!" The man's face lit up as he said "I think that is great! And do you know why? Because I was adopted when I was 5 years old!" Rollins thought it was the greatest thing ever! Reflecting back on that moment makes me tear up... to see that God is such a God of detail. Of all the people that Rollins could have told, and all the responses he could have gotten... to see that God put that salesman there that night to encourage my 5 year old little boy. God cares enough about Rollins to put a man in his path who does not just support the idea of adoption but who's life has been radically changed because of adoption. Rollins went out on a limb, telling a total stranger and it was a moment of pure sweetness... a stone of remembrance for our family that God's hand is all over this journey!

I have to end with one funny. We are going the special needs route and the night we told them, I tucked them into bed and as I'm walking out, Rollins shouts out into the dark "Two arms mommy!" I was like "what?" and he repeats "Two arms!" I'm still like "What are you saying?" And he says "I want her to have 2 arms and 2 legs and I don't want her to be bossy. Good night." You gotta love his honesty!