Finally!!

Andy and I are one step closer to being parents! We received our log in date from China. In approximately 26 months, we should be matched with our precious baby girl! All the hard work and paper gathering has paid off.

We had been waiting patiently since June for our email saying we were logged in. They estimated 6 weeks for China to process everything and enter us into the system, so we weren’t expecting to hear anything before the middle of August. After Labor Day I thought I’d send a nice email asking if they knew any reasons for the delay. After a little confusion on both sides, our agency realized we never received our notification. Turns out, we were logged in on June 19th. Our notification email was lost in transit, so we had no idea. Thankfully, nothing was delayed because we didn’t know…it only delayed our excitement.

It feels so good to have a time line to work with now. It seemed there were so many things that it seemed premature to do that I now feel like jumping right in and getting started. I'm also very relieved the estimated wait is only 26 months. There was a woman who cornered me in a conversation about the China adoption process. She gave me the impression that she thought she was an expert and informed us we'd be waiting 4 or more years for our match. I tried to ignore her, but in the back of my mind I worried. I even talked to God about how four years was not what we discussed and He would remind me that He knows more than I do. Even if His plan is for us to wait that long I’ll accept it.

Odds and Ends

There have been a lot of things I've had an interest in writing, but no time to write. So, I'll sum up. (Can you tell I love the Princess Bride?)

Adoption Update: We have been told that our Dossier is being translated into Chinese. The next time we hear from our agency, they will tell us our Dossier has been sent to China for approval. YAY!!! It was delayed a few days because I had to get another police report. This was my third time to go to the Smyrna Police Department to check on myself. It’s a small delay compared to stories I’ve heard from other people who have been gathering their paperwork. So, I’ll not complain.

Insurance Companies: Why are insurance companies allowed to take their time in sending you a bill for a service? We received a bill for lab work done a year ago. If I'm supposed to 'pay upon receipt' shouldn't they have to make me aware of money owed in a timely manner? Their methods make it difficult on the Dave Ramsey zero based budget. You’d think they could streamline their paperwork a little better than that. (Okay, I’ll complain a little.)

Amazing Show: We had the privilege of going to a live show with some of the ooo's and awe's of musicianship. A co-worker of mine is married to an amazing musician, Dave Perkins of Chagall Guevera, and she let me know about their show in Franklin. It seems all these men are good friends who have been wanting to just get together and jam. We got to hear Phil Keaggy, Dave Perkins, Lynn Nichols, Rick Cua, Mark Williamson, Mike Radovsky, Tom Howard and some others whose names escape me. It was amazing. If you want to read more about it, check out Geek Thoughts. Paul, Geek Thoughts author, and his wife were able to go with us. He was able to take some video. Keep in mind, the sound is not as good as it was live.

Last but not least: I feel like stressing that I am blessed beyond measure. God is always moving and I hope I'm fit enough spiritually to keep up. So many things are coming that will change our lives. Events like Andy's school in the fall, our baby girl, Rachel, who we'll be preparing for over the next couple of years, and many other events and issues that require prayer and wisdom. I pray right now that God take control of it all; from insurance irritations to what will Rachel sleep in when she finally gets here. He's good!

This feels more like a letter. So I'll sign off-

Have a great day and God Bless!!!
Allison

I do not wish to confront you...

What do I think of confrontation? Since you asked, I think it sucks. I would much rather get all worked up about a situation, fight my advisory in my mind, WIN (very important step in my method) and then move on.

Trouble is, my way does nothing. I think it actually does less than nothing. If I had a way to measure nothing, I would rank my method at about a negative 200.

Why am I blogging about this? I know there is a better way and I need accountability to use it. It's just hard. I fight with myself wondering how it could be better if it involves being vulnerable and putting myself in a position where I might hurt someone or, dare I say it, NOT WIN. Inconceivable! Or even worse, be shown that I might be wrong. Inconceivable!

Inconceivable? To steal a line from the great, fictional fighter, Inigo Montoya, 'You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.' Well, he's right. I'm wrong more than I'd like to admit. Not giving God the opportunity to teach me this truth through others is like being a rebellious child. I think it's time to stop it. Or as Bob Newhart might say, 'Stop it or I'll bury you in alive a box!'

If you haven't seen the Bob Newhart skit I'm referencing, click here. It's great! Unless, of course, one of your greatest fears is to be buried alive in a box.

High waters back home..

My dad sent me these pictures to show me how high the waters are back home. The first two pictures are of the bridge that stretches over Table Rock Lake in Kimberly City, MO. This is the bridge I cross when I visit my family in Branson, MO. You could dangle your feet in the water where before, if you had jumped off the bridge, it would have been a scary drop. I've never seen the water this high before.

The third picture was taken at the Landing in Downtown Branson. You can see the fence on the left beyond the tall black pillars. Lake Taneycomo is usually way below that line.

Adoption Update

I’ve not blogged in a while. I’m relatively new at all of this and still trying to find time to gather my thoughts. I love being able to log on to see what is going on in the lives of those I ‘read.’ Battles with toilets, pregnancy tests, and taxes as well as looking for lost items and breaking free from old chains are ways I’ve shared life with some of you this afternoon.

My husband and I have been gathering, and gathering and gathering and gathering (get the picture) paper work since last spring to get our adoption started. It’s a longer, more tedious process than I thought it would be. Who’d a thought that a physical exam would expire in 6 months?

Well, we’re almost there! This Thursday, we will hopefully fulfill the last requirement so we can get signatures from the federal government and a sticker from China.

I’ve been having literal dreams about my ‘little girl to be’ and she is precious. Sad to say that my dreams tell me that my house will be a mess and I won’t be able to find my cell phone to call my mom with the, ‘What do I do when this happens,’ questions that WILL be asked.

It’s a little depressing to think about the waiting period for a call that says, ‘you’ve been matched.’ I just cling to the hope that God is in control and that she will be in my arms when He says it’s time – no sooner – no later.

I've been tagged...

Nashbabe, the friend of the empress of creativity, has tagged me. I feel a little obligated to follow through, but it also seems like fun. I'm a sucker for these 'get to know you' lists. There are three basic tasks to perform.

• Tag others.
• Write 7 unusual facts about yourself on your blog.
• Link back to the person who tagged you and comment on their blog to let them know you're playing.

Here are my 7 unusual facts. I'm not that unusual, so give me a break if it sounds like I’m reaching. I am reaching!

1. My husband and I were involved in a Christian music band for about 5 years. I know this isn't too unusual for folks in Nashville, but where I'm from it's pretty unique.


2. I've been to Ghana, Africa. The country is beautiful and so are the people. The traffic is terrifying!!!


3. My husband and I have made the choice to adopt a child. A baby girl from China! Some find this incredibly unusual.


4. I’ve ridden a mechanical bull. REALLY! I was thrown off pretty quick, but it was a lot of fun. I’d do it again.


5. I love Sci-Fi and Action movies. I put this because men usually gripe at the fact that women won't watch these types of movies. The fact that I love these movies makes my husband very happy. Now if I could get him to love Jane Austen movies. Hmmm...


6. I HATE two of the most loved 'songs-o-sap' on the radio. These songs are 'Butterfly Kisses' and 'Christmas Shoes.' There is something about these songs that make me want to BLECH. People find this surprising about me because most of the time I’m a complete and total sap.


7. My husband and I bonded over the fact that we both loved Monty Python’s Holy Grail.

Okay…your turn!

Scary things...

I remember how my 3-8 year old mind interpreted the night. The shadows would seem to form into very convincing shapes of strange people or monsters. For years I was positive that I wouldn’t make it through the night with my closet door open and I just knew for a fact that when the darkness crept in, the trees in my yard turned into living creatures with evil intentions.

I have a saying. ‘Sometimes scary things are scary because they are scary.’ Emphasis on the sometimes there. There are things that are just plain scary but some things are scary because I’m not looking at them from the right angle. If I had faced the shadows, closet, and trees, I would’ve discovered empty corners, my hung clothes and the same trees that I had been climbing in the daylight. Nothing scary; just the light hitting them at a different angle.

I have experienced other fears in my life that have left me feeling foolish or left me with the sense that because I let fear keep me from acting, I missed out on an opportunity. Fears of rejection, failure, embarrassment, conflict, etc. have kept me from who knows what. Sad thing is, these fears that I can’t physically touch, constantly need their foolishness proved over and over again. Why is it scary? In order to have them proved as foolish, I have to introduce an element that is not in my control. People. What do I need to learn? When my little experiment to conquer my fears explodes in my face, its okay…I’ll be alright.

I know there are things that I’m going to have to face that are truly scary. When those instances come, I hope that I have trained myself to look at the face of God for comfort and not let my mind be overcome with the fact that I’m scared that I’m facing something scary. I’m not alone at any time. I might need to be reminded of that.

By the way: The back yard is still pretty creepy at night! It just is!!