Wednesday, May 12, 2010

We Like to Keep Things Interesting. . .

When we first began this process in February 2009, I felt impressed to ask our social worker to approve us for three children. At the time, I felt confident that we would be bringing home two children, but I just couldn't shake the feeling that I needed to ask for approval for three, so I did and our social worker approved.

Some of you may recall that, just a few days before our dossier was submitted to the Ministry of Justice, we were committed to bringing three children home- Lily, Alayna and a little boy with arthrogryposis. Just three days before our dossier was submitted, we learned that our little boy's mother had withdrawn consent for adoption and that we would no longer be able to bring him home. The news was devastating. The Ministry of Justice gave us the opportunity to commit to another child prior to submitting our dossier, but, after a lot of prayer and discussion, we made the decision to move forward with the girls. It was terribly hard for me to accept that decision. We were approved for three, we had room for three in our home and in our hearts and we had almost raised the funds to bring three children home, but we knew that we needed to move forward with the girls and so we did.

But, no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't shake the feeling that we were leaving someone behind.

While I was in Bulgaria visiting Alayna, I met a wonderful little boy with arthrogryposis and fell in love! While still in Bulgaria, Richard and I made the decision to pursue him as well, if he was registered and available to be adopted. As soon as I returned home and after I had completed all of the necessary paperwork for the girls, we began working on assembling another dossier (because the official referrals of the girls had already been issued, the pursuit of another child is considered a separate adoption which meant we had to start from the beginning). Two weeks after I arrived home, we received the news that another family had committed to bring this little boy home. We were very happy for him, but, of course, sad that he would not be joining our family.

Despite this news, I STILL couldn't shake the feeling that we were leaving someone behind.

A few weeks ago, our attorney received the files of several children listed on the Waiting Children's List. Among those children was a little girl from Lily's orphanage. While visiting Lily, I had the chance to meet and spend time with the children in her group. Among them was a beautiful little girl with mild cerebral palsy. Oh how I had wished I could bring her home as well. Based on the location, diagnosis and age of the little girl in the file, I wondered if it might be the same little girl in Lily's group. The picture included with the file was more than two years old and, though it didn't look exactly like the little girl I had seen, it was similar enough that I was almost certain it was her. How I longed to bring her home.

Two weeks ago, while Richard was attending a Scout camp out, I found myself on my knees. I pleaded with the Lord to confirm to my heart that this was the little girl I had met at the orphanage (if it was) and more importantly, if this little girl was the "missing piece" that my heart seemed to be searching for. An hour later, before heading to bed, I pulled up Reece's Rainbow to look at her picture one more time, but as soon as I clicked on the link I saw another sweet face staring back at me. A familiar face. The face of the little girl in Lily's group (who had just been added to the photo listing mere minutes before I sat down at my computer). That was all the confirmation I needed to know that this little girl WAS the child my heart had been search for and that we were supposed to be bringing her home.

A few days later (last Monday), we made the official commitment! Because we had already begun the process of putting together a second dossier for the little boy I met while in Bulgaria, our dossier was almost complete. We are still waiting on a few things from our homestudy agency and our placing agency, but we are hoping to have everything notarized and apostilled on Friday so that we can send our second dossier on its way by Saturday or Monday!

We are hopeful that we will be able to combine our pickup trip for the girls with our first trip for our third little girl and hopefully, we will have all three girls home by the end of the year!

Yes, we know we are crazy, but we love it and we feel incredibly blessed to be bringing these THREE amazing little girls into our family!

And now, introducing. . . . .

Little Lady #3

PS- Keep scrolling for an update on our court date

6 comments:

Mamapierce said...

Congratulations! I am so happy for you!

Thom and Jamie Stansfield said...

Wow Congrats! You guys are amazing! She is so lucky to have you! And i'm sure vice versa!

Carrie said...

That is awesome news, Val!

MoonDog said...

darling! and that dark hair! she will fit right in!

growing our love... said...

You do like to keep it interesting! What wonderful news. She is a doll! Can't wait to hear more. Hoping court goes well tomorrow.

Qadoshyah said...

Congrats!!