Moving Ahead

What's going on in the adoption world these days? Well, my prints cleared (PTL!!) and we are just waiting on I-800a approval from immigration... basically a form we filled out and sent along with our homestudy where the government approves us to adopt internationally. They say that it takes 90 days to get approval and we are about 50+ days in so HOPEFULLY mid-July we will get word that we are approved!

Once we get approved, there are a couple more weeks of paperwork after which we can get "Logged In" in China and THEN we can get "matched" with our little girl soon after!! Then back to more months of waiting and paperwork.... but right now I'm about to bust at the seams thinking that at then end of the summer we may know what our sweet baby's face looks like! It is so surreal to me! I'm glad I have 3 others to keep me totally distracted or else I don't know how I would make it through all this waiting....

So, another song for all of you out there. I'm in love with Mandi Mapes' CD ("Till I'm Home").... it is seriously the greatest. Although Rollins often makes me turn it off because in his words "The songs are so pretty but they make me remember all of my dead _____ (insert fish, frogs, crabs, caterpillars, butterflies... whatever creature died that week) and I'm feeling like I might cry right now." So it is hard for me to find time to really focus on the lyrics and soak it all in.... but she has a song about adoption that i LOVE.... everything about it.... the words, the upbeat/happy tempo, the sound, etc. The lyrics are below and then I posted a youtube video that uses the song so you can hear it. I totally don't know the people in the video but I have to say that I could watch youtube adoption videos all day long and it would never get old. I've been found many a night at my computer, watching such videos, crying and Derek has come in and said "Who is that a video of?" to which I answered "I have no idea!" Just moved seeing another baby finding a mommy and a daddy and seeing the Gospel played out before my eyes.

I'll be back when we get approved and let you know! Also, on my sidebar, check out my friend Stacie's blog (Prepare Our Hearts). She is the first of our coffee group to head to china to go get her little girl. She leaves in a week and a half and you can follow along on her journey and pray for her! So exciting!!!

I’ve never felt this way before

Funny how you found your way to my door

and suddenly my prayers are coming true

and these arms are not letting go of you

Chorus 1:

This love, this love is the deep kind

You’re my baby, you’re my sunshine

I’ll hold your hand, be your biggest fan

and I’ll love you all of the time

Our eyes are not quite the same shade

and your hair blows in the wind a different way

but I am your mother and I love you just the same

so I’ll take your hand honey, and you can take my name.

My heart has been redeemed, adopted and now I know my Father

this grace that I’ve received, I want to show you, I want to show you

This love this love is the deep kind

It hangs on through the storm and the sunshine.

I’ll hold your hand, be your biggest fan

and I’ll love you all of the time