We have been a bit quieter about our adoption process this time, but I did want to take some time here to share a little of our journey to Kate so far.
We never completely closed out the option of adopting again after Lennox came home, but we did feel pretty certain that our family was complete at six. We would talk about it here and there, and the idea was never far from our minds, but we also were pretty busy and consumed with these four little boys. Sometime about a year or so ago, I began to really wrestle with thoughts of adoption and feeling drawn to do it again, and I finally just made a conscious decision to hand it over to The Lord. Something that I should have done from the very beginning, of course. I prayed for Him to give me full peace and contentment with where we were currently, but to open that door and make it clear to both of us if there was another little one out there meant for our family. And I prayed this prayer often. Of course, He was faithful. I began to feel completely at peace with everything related to the size of our family.
And then...one March morning of this year, I was at work, heard my email ding, and noticed it was from Dillon International. That’s when our journey to Kate officially began...on a Thursday morning that started out like any other. As I dropped off the boys at school that morning, I certainly never would have dreamed it would be the day we would see the face of our daughter. Isn’t it awesome when God does things like that?
The email told us they had received the referrals of several precious little ones from Korea. But no waiting families. No anxious moms and dads waiting for that phone call letting them know they’d been matched with a sweet baby. So, they were reaching to out to us as a past Dillon family to see if we’d consider it. I scrolled down the page and there she was. Her chubby cheeks and her perfect little lips and those eyes. Goodness, those eyes just looking back so deeply at you. I remember feeling that way the first time I saw Lennox’s picture. I also noticed that she has a little strawberry birthmark on her forehead. Yup, a strawberry birthmark. Just like mine. I think I actually knew in that first moment...those first few seconds that she would be our daughter.
God surely worked another miracle a little while later, when I forwarded her information to Brent. I fully prepared myself for his response to be “Keep dreaming, honey!” or something of the sort. Ha. But God had already opened Brent’s heart to her and to His plan for her to be a part of our lives. Because only a few days and many prayers later, we were fiercely delving through mounds and mounds of paperwork and homestudy visits. We couldn’t officially be matched with her until we were paperwork and homestudy approved, so we were kind of working backwards this time. We saw her face before we ever even filled out the first page. We like to say, this time, she found us. Let me tell ya. That will give you an all new desire and intensity to work through the never ending paper trail!
Finally, after two months of phone calls and paperwork and doctor evaluations and interviews, we were officially matched with her on May 23! The boys had known about her for over a month at this point, but shocked us by actually keeping it a secret! I believe they were about to burst. I think Lennox actually had a slow leak...haha...so it’s a good thing we let them tell when we did!
With all of that being said, yes, her story looks a little different from Lennox’s so far. But it’s hers. Her broken beautiful story. From this point on, the process will be similar to Lennox’s, although we are hopeful it will be shorter. Right now, our prayer is to have her home by her second birthday next April. However, we know all too well to not hold onto those dates too tightly. But to hold on to the truth that God’s timing is the best of all. To trust in Him that she is being loved and treasured, even while we wait. The wait is never easy, but it’s always worth it.
I remember writing about Lennox’s process often, and I wasn’t sure that I would this time. But I love having our journey to him so documented to look back upon. To remember details that we might otherwise have forgotten. So, I’d like to try to write some. Even if it’s few and far between. I’d love to write to help our family and friends feel informed. And so they feel connected to her, even when she’s an ocean away. Because you can never have too many people praying for you! We treasure all of your prayers for our family and the process. And especially for this little one. This one-in-a-million girl who I have no doubt will rock our world. :)
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