Counting down the days!

Only a few days until we travel to go meet and bring home our little Lena!  I cannot believe it is time!  I have so many emotions and thoughts swirling around in my heart and my head that it's hard to put it all in to words.  We just want to thank everyone for their outpouring of love and support during this journey.  I pray that it will continue, as this journey is actually just getting ready to begin! 

Lately, the majority of my time has been preparing my work caseload to hand over to another therapist.  I am taking a leave for quite a while to be with Lena and my family and focus on their needs.  I am so excited about the opportunity to do this and not be busy with the outside demands of my work.  Don't get me wrong, I truly love my work and the children I am able to help with their communication.  I am just so excited about this stage of motherhood in my life!  I pray that it will work out financially for our family for me to be able to stay home for a while and just be "Mommy."

I also have been spending many hours organizing and preparing for our trip and for our little girl to come home.  Part of this has been creating a master schedule for my boys who will stay home during our trip.  I am so thankful for everyone who is pitching in to help out with them while we are away.  This is very hard for me to know that I will not be here for them and help them with their daily needs and activities.  I know, however, that they are being cared for by people who love them (this makes ALL the difference!)  I have peace knowing this. So, thank you, thank you, thank you! 

Last week, our church friends gave us an amazing shower for Lena.  We were blessed with so many gifts to help us prepare for her!  It means so much to us that we have family, friends, and a church family who are supporting us throughout this.

Please continue to pray for us:  for our safety, for the boys at home, for Lena's adjustment, for our peace and patience, for Lena to "know" us as her family, and for our family to reach a "new normal" without much difficulty.

When we return, we may be isolated for a while as Lena bonds with us and our family.  We want her to feel safe and secure and know us as her caregivers and parents.  We have know idea how she will adjust or what she will be feeling and dealing with.  We do know that it will be very difficult for her and she will need to take time to grieve and not be overwhelmed in her transition.  Please understand that this will not an easy process for her or for our family, but we know that it is the path our family is to take and that we will be blessed beyond measure.  Our focus will solely be on her and her adjustment and our family for a while.  We ask for your prayers, support, understanding, and love during this process.  I know that every situation is different, but we are trying to go into this with our eyes wide open and not with an "everything will be rosy" view of what life will be like for the next several months or even years. 

We are so excited and eager to begin this stage of life and see how God will work in it and through it all!  Most of all, we are so thrilled to bring a little girl, without a family, from the other side of the world into our family... forever! 

Please take time to read a truth-telling blog entry about the first year after adopting.  It may help you see what the adoption journey is like, or could be like. 

http://jenhatmaker.com/blog/2012/08/21/the-truth-about-adoption-one-year-later


Blessings...
Laura