Chen Chronicles

This MUST be from our God above because it has been exactly NINE months since we started this process & we all know it takes NINE months for a baby to grow inside it's mother.  However, I don't feel labor pains.  I feel travel worries and adoption pains (all good emotions....and LOTS of adrenaline at this point)!  God Bless our friend Leah for talking us through this week....well at least me, because otherwise I'm not sure I would have made it without totally freaking out! We are so excited, nervous, scared.....I think the entire gamut of emotions has been felt by Aaron and I this week.  We're nervously awaiting Visas and have been told they are on there way to us.  By the time of posting, which is 2:17am here, I can't sleep tonight!  I have SO much on my mind and later today is that trip out to get stuff for Baby T and to get things that will entice a 23, almost 2 year old little girl to want to have anything to do with you.   I know I'm ...

So, I haven't been to sleep at all tonight and it's 3:40am here. I've tried my normal sleep medication so I thought writing and getting some of my feelings out there might be a great way to get some sleep. You know, that unburdening feeling...that might make me feel better. I read a quote today about adoption and wanted to share it: Pray, hope and don't worry. Anxiety doesn't help at all. Our Merciful Lord will listen to your prayer. --- Saint Padre Pio I sure do hope this saint is correct because we are ALL praying for our little Katie and trying our best NOT to worry about the outcome, or specifically, when we are going to get a referral. I think it is all-consuming these days.  Some days it is easier and others harder.  Though when I consider where Aaron and I both are in life at this moment, it almost seems better that we get our little one next year because he'll be closer to being done with graduate school (graduates in June) and he can come hom...

So, we've all heard the saying that, "God is never late...he is always on time.."  This doesn't, however, mean he is on OUR time and this is becoming more evident as we wait for news on our adoption.  Friday, we were pretty upset because that morning our agency called and said it would be 2-3 months before the rep in Russia expected to get ANY referrals.  That time period was okay, because we knew with diligence and hard work on our end that we may be able to complete our adoption of our Katie Allison by Christmas this year.  That STILL MIGHT happen, but then that afternoon we got another call and our coordinator told us that because we are requesting a baby girl under age 2 (whom we will name Katie Allison Chen), that this could take 6-9 months before we receive a referral.  Taking what she said to heart was very difficult and sad as we had been dreaming of a Christmas as a family of three.  This isn't to say that won't happen, but it isn't as likely as i...