She Said-He said Our thoughts on First Friday

Warning: this could be long and emotional. You may need a tissue!!!!



As most of you know, Michael and I attend a monthly support group meeting called First Friday which was last night. The meetings are encouraging, and we have the greatest support!..


So, we met up with the Ladmans for dinner at Bahama Breeze before heading over to the Chapmans. Karens husband is home from an extended assignment and we finally got to meet him and it was wonderful.

We got there early and wandered around. I spotted a few new people so I said hello. A lady turned around wearing a blue shirt. I immediately got the chills. On the right hand corner of her shirt it said Owen T. Wheeler Foundation. I almost cried immediately. You see, I was Owens first night shift nurse after being diagnosed with a brain tumor. I took care of him every night I worked. Owen passed away New Years Eve 4 years ago. I attended Owens funeral and it was the second funeral I had ever attended. It was one of the most beautiful experiences. This lady is now a part of Owens family and it was nice to hear about them. Clearly this was the beginning of most emotional night.

During the evening, one of the professors from Kennesaw who is Chinese, played the Chinese violin (cant remember the name of of it) and sang some songs.

Next on the agenda, the announcement of a referral. Baby Laney will be joining her parents in a short time. Her picture was shared with everyone Jay and Angela video taped their referral call let me say that everyone had tears the entire time, even the men. I don't think that some of the daddies realized what actually happened when you get the call, so this was a great thing for our guys to see. I know that Michael really enjoyed it.

Next up, Rob from North Metro Church spoke for a few minutes. He is a daddy to 2 girls from China and teared up as he talked about their wait and journey and reminded is that this is our time to do great things. God is doing amazing things and we may not see what he's up to until we get home. But how wonderful to know that God is working on our perfect family and developing Michael and I to be the best parents we can be. What a testimony for us. It was God. Rob said every word I needed to hear and it was precious.

Next the man from Kennesaw got up ( were not expecting this) and thanked everyone here for loving the China babies. i wish I could remember everything he said but he ended with a song that talks about the beauty of a person..Another crying moment.

Seriously, if it wasn't obvious that God was a part of every moment, keep reading.

Another mom to be shared a picture with us. She is going to be getting a chid from the special needs list. Baby Shelby has a cleft lip and palate and will have the palate repaired here in Atlanta. I work with almost all the cleft lip/palate babies and was able to share my experiences as a nurse with her..It was wonderful to see relief on her face. I can not remember her name but I am praying for her..Shes in Disney now! Yeah!!!

We drove home and talked a bit before going to bed.

This morning, I went to the store and to a neighborhood garage sale. I was mostly looking for childrens books because a) I hear you can not have to many and b) they are stinkin cheap at garage sales. As I approached my last house, I spoke to the lady who also sells Mary Kay. I asked her where she was from and she Atlanta, right here, this is my house..I then asked her where her beautiful accent was from and she said Hong Kong. I explained what we were doing and tears started flowing and she said Thank You, Thank you!. YOu see, she herself, gave up a daughter and she herself worked in an orphanage. She speaks Cantonese and Mandarin Chinese and would like to teach Michael and I some words before we leave for China!

HOW GREAT IS MY GOD!!


Michaels Story:
As part of our adoption process, Amy and I attend a monthly support group with people ranging from those with questions about international adoption to those in the process and those who have completed their trips to China. They are held on the first Friday of each month.Tonight was the best one I have been to as we learned about another couple's experience getting the phone call with details of their "match." They videotaped the call from their agency with the director telling them about the baby, name, height, weight, physical exam, birth date, etc. They then were emailed their first picture of their baby and the parents with grandparents and other relatives all crowded around the computer to see baby Laney. I cried through most of it because I had no idea that a call like this would be part of the process and I was filled with a joy and excitement about the day this happens for us.Also, I finally got to meet a friend's husband. He is in the Army and has been in Kuwait for the past six months while she has been waiting for him and for their referal. We enjoyed dinner together before the meeting and he's a neat guy that we look forward to becoming close friends with.

My emotions are high and I am ready for this wait because I know God has something for Michael and I that I can not right now comprehend. For those also waiting, be encouraged. Our time will come. We are not missing out an anything right now. God is cooking up something thats going to be out of this world!!!! How exciting is that!!!!