It's Really Happening

As I'm typing this, I have butterflies in my stomach. I have always known it would happen...eventually...but when you wait almost 6 years, sometimes you wonder. Today I woke up to an email in my inbox from the State Department...they have officially approved Lily for a US visa and will be forwarding documents to the US Consulate in Guangzhou! We will be traveling to China in 45 days! In 45 days we will be getting on a plane...flying halfway around the world...and picking up our daughter!

I don't remember when this desire to adopt from China began...in college, maybe. When Big Daddy came along and we started talking about getting married I mentioned that I wanted to adopt from China. I could tell the thought of adopting from China had never crossed his mind, but he didn't say no.

In October of 2004, we traveled to California for a dedication at Azusa Pacific University. The University was dedicating a "Healing Garden" to my mother-in-law, Vivian.

After this dedication, we had a wonderful dinner where I was assigned a seat next to a woman...who's name I can't remember...that had just returned from China with her second daughter. I spent several hours soaking up all the information I could. Big Daddy and I were at separate tables, so he had no idea what I had been discussing for the last two hours. By the time the dinner was over and Big Daddy had found his way to my table, this woman had gone to her car and gathered all the information she had on adopting from China...including a DVD documentary. Have I ever mentioned I believe in signs? THIS WAS A SIGN...from God...from my mother-in-law...that we should adopt from China. Big Daddy was not convinced.

In August of 2005, my niece Kennedi was baptized at St. Francis Catholic Church. The baptism was right after the service, so we were waiting at the back of the Church for the congregation to clear out. A woman came up to me and ask if I was Amy...that I had dated her brother in high school and wondered what I had been doing since. Did I mention she was holding a Chinese baby!!! By the time the baptism started, I had even more information...including the name of a social worker and an adoption agency. Big Daddy was still not convinced. Seriously??? This was clearly another sign from God that we should adopt...they don't get more obvious than that...right!

A couple of months later, I convinced Big Daddy to go to an agency seminar. They gave us a plethora of information and we were able to talk with several families that had adopted from China. They brought their beautiful daughters with them. I could tell by the time we left...Big Daddy was finally convinced. My dream was now OUR dream!

It took us another year of saving, collecting and authenticating documents, and visits from our social worker before our dossier was sent to China and logged-in on October 16, 2006. It's been a long wait...too long...but some things are worth the wait. God has a plan. His plan...and sometimes His plan takes a while to unfold. I often hear people say "your daughter is so lucky" or "how wonderful it is that we are saving a little girl from an orphanage". To be honest...I am the lucky one. She is filling the hole I have had in my heart for many years...she is saving me.