Party of 5?!?!

It has been three long months since we decided not to pursue the match with J. Three very tough months of questioning ourselves, second guessing our decision, and just feeling like we were never going to see the end of this journey. Friday, Nov. 14th was the worst day I've had throughout this whole process. Matt had been gone for the week and I was just tired and sad. Friday always means two whole days without any possibilities. I sat on my couch with a pile of laundry in front of me in the middle of our messy house and just cried and prayed. You know...that seriously ugly cry that requires tissues for more than just your eyes? Oh, yes! I needed answers. I needed God to tell us exactly what to do. I prayed so hard for a clear answer from Him. Nothing vague....I mean like a big ole slap in the face and kick in the rear telling us what to do. Matt and I were at a point where we were thinking of stepping back and taking a break from the process for a little while. I prayed for movement for us, for our daughter to come to us SOON! I had peace after that. I knew He would provide answers.

Monday came and we were preparing for our yard sale that we had this past weekend (huge success, by the way). Matt came running downstairs with my phone in his hand talking to Pat, our caseworker. She wanted to tell us about a sweet little girl who just turned three this month. As Pat was telling us about her, before we ever saw her file, her special needs, her picture...we knew she was ours. God had answered. K has a serious heart condition which will require multiple surgeries when she comes home. She also has slight differences in her hands and one of her little legs. She is absolutely perfect! She is beautiful and she is OURS! The crazy thing is...her needs are actually more significant than J's were. When we saw her face, it didn't matter what she needed. We would do whatever we needed to for her. Everyone was absolutely right. When it's your daughter, you'll just know...and we do.

So now, the long long journey begins to get our baby home. First, CARA still has to approve our match. There is a chance they could say no to our match with K. We pray that doesn't happen and our caseworker is very optimistic, but nothing is ever guaranteed in India. K's adoption will also have to be processed through an Indian state that is moving very very slowly with adoptions right now. K needs surgery as soon as possible, so we're hoping for an expedited process so she can get the medical care she needs. It's unlikely that they will do that, but it's always worth a try.

Many of our family and friends have asked us how they can help. We're now at a point in our process where we need our friends and family more than ever! We wanted to wait until we had a referral to really start fundraising and enlisting the help of our friends, family, and community. Now, we have a beautiful little soul who needs to come home.

We have been so blessed by a wonderful non profit here in Birmingham, The Grace Klein Community! For our yard sale fundraiser, they provided a massive 20 foot trailer full of donations for us to sell to help raise money. We are now partnering with them to raise funds in another way.

Here is a little excerpt from The Grace Klein Community on how you can give "the gift of giving" this holiday season in the form of a tribute donation.

For every purpose and occasion, sharing is the perfect gift. A tribute  donation is a meaningful way to honor someone special in your life. Please consider using our “Giving the Gift of Community” certificates to make a tax deductible donation in lieu of material gifts in honor of a family member, a friend, a colleague or a client. It’s a unique and thoughtful way to honor someone this Christmas.

 If you would be interested in donating in honor of someone special or just for you, you may follow the link below and click the "donate" button under "Adoption Support." If you donate, please be sure to put our name in the memo section  when you make your donation to ensure that it will go toward our adoption fund. Grace Klein deals directly with our adoption agency and passes along all donations to them toward the expense of bringing K home.

http://gracekleincommunity.com/2013/announcement/giving-the-gift-of-community/

Thank you all so very much for all of the love and support you've shown us. If you're reading this, you're in it with us already and we love you and appreciate you every step of the way.


Okay, the following should probably be a separate post, but I don't want to get into detail (or get myself all worked up), so here goes:

On a totally separate note, I feel the need to get something off my chest and further open the lines of communication about our adoption.
We have had many questions asked of us about our adoption, especially in the recent days following our referral. Some so nice and sweet, some...not so much. Some supportive....others...well, you get the idea. If you have questions, please please ask. We will not be offended by genuine questions in the least. We want everyone to feel comfortable talking openly with us about our adoption. I have learned this past week that some people are uneducated, and others are just plain mean. (Obviously, this is a slight vent) Yes, our daughter has some obvious physical differences. Yes, we realize that she does not look like us. We are fully aware of ALL of that!! There is no need to rudely point that out or give your own opinion of those differences or to "diagnose" her. We know what her special needs are and we think she's perfect. She's ours. I have found the Momma Bear emerging a little bit in the last week. I am really hoping that this is not a glimpse of what we will have to deal with when K comes home. We want to empower her and for her to be proud. So, please just try to be sensitive with your comments. Ask yourself how you would feel if that question was asked of you, or that comment said about your child. If you'd be upset, then so will I. Whew....I sure feel better now. :) Thanks for traveling with us, friends!

Love.