Not an ordinary family/adoption update

One day late last summer I began reading the book, Sarah, Plain and Tall to the kids - "That's me", I said to Claire, "Emily, plain and tall!"  Claire's furrowed brow questioned my reasoning as she quickly responded, "You're not plain, Mama!  YOU have freckles!"  

The sweetest response I'll remember forever.  I love the idea of our uniqueness and the fact that my freckle sprinkled arms separate me from the "ordinary."  No one else has freckled arms like mine under this roof.  And no one else has piercing blue eyes like Natalie, or eyes so brown there's no difference between iris and pupil, like Jude.  All different, all made in the likeness of God, The Creator.  How blessed are we to be surrounded by an array of unique features!?  And I absolutely love to be adding more uniqueness to our family through adoption.

Adoption Update:

The corner of our property facing the field is fenced with an angled cedar post and adorned with a pink mini rose bush.  So many prayers have been whispered into the wind at this little V-shaped corner.  So many cries for understanding, mercy and grace have been spoken into every season's breeze in this same spot.  More times than I can count, I've asked God to, "extend our borders", in my heart meaning the fence line.  And only recently have I discovered this boundry stretching request might have been answered, but in a way different from what I imagined.  ​Adoption.

We're nearing the end of our paper chase.  I can't tell if I'll dance for joy by its end or flatten on the ground in exhaustion.  There's a reason they call this stage a "paper pregnancy".  And although I haven't thrown up at all from it, I have cried tears, needed naps and discovered a serious vitamin deficiency,
​ (thank you, adoption agency, for requiring bloodwork!)  The similarities are there, for sure. 

Andy and I spent all of Valentine's Day together this year at the office of our social worker in Cortland answering questions about us, our childhood and our desire to adopt from Haiti.  I'm not sure if we've ever spent an entire Valentine's Day together!  We took full advantage of this time and enjoyed a Hibachi style lunch complete with a near beard burning!  Those flames are a little close for a bearded man's comfort!   

So, things are moving along in the process.  We're keeping up with our 4–6-month timeframe to have everything neatly ​organized and authenticated by the county and state before being sent off to the Haitian government.  We know the waiting process is in many ways much harder than the paper process, but we're reminded of the story of Abraham and Isaac - Neither one knowing exactly what to expect at the top of the mountain, neither one able to see the full plan up ahead, neither one with access to Google planner for God to fill in the blanks of what tomorrow will bring.  But neither one backing down from climbing higher and higher, neither one turning away in fear or questioning the process.  Only obedience by both faithful followers of God, keeping the pace all the way up the hill, ready to see what God would provide at the top, confident he most certainly would make provision so life could go on.
We're leaning into His plan as we navigate through these hoops and hurdles, conscious of the mountain up ahead.  But the journey is far from over, with our faith pressing us forward, we will continue to step out and into His mysterious will.  
More updates to come....​