Our Little Dossier...

...Is somewhere enroute to Alabama as I type this. I got it all finished up this afternoon after Matt and I had our mug shots (I mean our passport photos) taken at Walgreens for a whopping $40! Seriously? They are $10 a piece and we needed 4 of them. You're not suppose to smile in them, and I swear the guy actually messed with the color just enough for them to be the absolute worst pictures we've ever seen of ourselves. Thankfully there are some happier looking family photos in the package, otherwise China just might've taken one look at us and said, "Ummmm...Next!"

I spent the $18 to have the dossier over-nighted. Hopefully it will be checked and sent off for authentification on Wednesday. That should take approx. 3 weeks. Then another 3 week wait or so to hear back from China. In the meantime, we will get Ashlyn all situated for immigration and wait for our LID (Log In Date). I am discouraged to tell you that our wait has become a little longer than we'd hoped. It's looking like we may not travel until November. This wait seems to be getting longer and loooonger and loooooooooonger.

I still haven't heard back from Angela as to whether or not those letters are actually from Ashlyn to us. It does seem like China is never in much of a hurry for anything. Don't they know we are a very impatient culture!? :)

I had an encounter last Friday that I started to share with y'all and then my iPad decided you didn't need to know about it. Maybe it was the Lord telling me to let it go. Well, now that my hubby's computer is finally cooperating I gotta vent...
I actually had someone shriek and scrunch their nose in disapproval when they found out that we were adopting a 13-year-old. Then she went on to ask me if my precious Averleigh is larger than the average 2-year-old. This all from a grown, Christian woman.

Seriously. How rude. And I'm so nice, because when people are rude to me I actually get embarrassed for them, so I smile and try to put them at ease. Then I walk away and digest what just happened and wish I could go back and say something a little "different". I am getting bolder though. When she asked me if we were concerned about our decision I smiled and said, "No, not at all. We are over the moon with excitement." And I gotta say, it's the truth. No more worry. No more fear. Only excitement and great anticipation remain. We are expecting BIG THINGS from our AWESOME GOD.  He has never let me down. This road may be bumpy and unsure, but we're taking it! The neigh sayers can sit on the side of the road where it's "safe and comfortable" and watch us struggle on by. In the end, my knees may be worn out and my pocket book may be empty, but I will run and not grow weary and I will fall into the arms of Jesus with no regrets!

I can not wait to look my daughter in the eyes and tell her how we have come just for her. We chose her. There was no one except for her. And we will cry with her and we will mourn with her. We will heal with her and rejoice with her. We will hold our hands and hearts ever so loosely open so that she can show us who she is. This experience is going to change us all. Praise God.

I praise Him and thank Him in advance for His faithfulness. I pray that He will equip us and give us wisdom and discernment to get through each and every second of each and every day. And I boldly ask that He give us great love...  all of us.

Please pray that everything moves on smoothly from here. It would be so great if we could get there sooner than later.

Oh, I almost forgot! Matt and I celebrated 15 years of marriage on April 12th! I remember thinking that 5 years was a long time. Wow, where does the time go? Soon I will be a mommy to 2 teenagers!
Blessings,
Rebecca