It's Official!

PA (preliminary approval) came early this morning via email from our agency. I was just counting the days yesterday and realizing that it would most likely be sometime around Labor Day before we'd receive word from Lisa at Lifeline, so imagine my total shock when I checked my email (as the kids were getting out of the car at school) and saw her name show up followed by a HUGE "CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!" I was able to tell the kids as they were hopping out of the van and they were so excited. Aidan still is oblivious to what all of this really means. He is quite funny. Kids are so honest. When we first shared with him that we wanted to adopt Ashlyn he wasn't too keen on the idea. He said he didn't know anyone with brown skin. Then I reminded him that he was on an ALL black basketball team, he has MANY asian friends AND family members, and his buddy/cousin Mary Clare (who is his twin separated at birth) IS FROM CHINA. He was like, "ohhhh". Then he was hesitant because his new Chinese friend/our exchange student, Rita, REFUSED to "buckle up" in the car after Aidan tried time and time again to demand that she do so. Apparently the Chinese do not wear seat belts and they also have a stubborn streak! :)
Ansley is over the moon with excitement, Alex is glad to no longer be the eldest, and miss Av??? Well, she's been going over to the coffee table and taking Ashlyn's picture and kissing it all week. It's as if she just knows. As for me and Matt, we are still astonished at the lengths that God has gone to for us to show us that "this is the way in which we should walk" (Jeremiah 42:3). He tells us in Jeremiah 33:3; "Call to me and I will answer you, and I will tell you great and mighty things, which you do not know." And how does God show us those great and mighty things? 1 Corinthians 1:9-16 tells us one way: "Things which eye has not seen and ear has not heard, and which have not entered the heart of man, all that God has prepared for those who love Him. For to us God revealed them through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God. For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so the thoughts of God no one knows except the Spirit of God. Now we have received (those who believe), not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know things things freely given to us by God, which things we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words. But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he can not understand them, because they are spiritually appraised. But he who is spiritual appraises all things, yet he himself is appraised by no one. For who has known the mind of the Lord, that he will instruct Him? But we (believers) have the mind of Christ." That is powerfully awesome! It is for ALL who love Him. And we do love Him. We love Him because He loved us first. While we were sinners, before we even acknowledged Him, He died for us.
We still have a long road ahead of us. We have tons and tons of paperwork to get at and LOTS of money that we are waiting on the Lord to provide. We are planning a fundraiser to help with costs. We appreciate your prayers, love, & support more than you know.