Documenting the WONDERFULNESS.

THINGS ARE HAPPENING!!!

Would you PLEASE use your eyeballs and look at what we got TODAY??!!!!!
TWO new pictures and THREE videos.  I can't even.......

Moving through the steps of an international adoption can sometimes feel like you're walking through quicksand.  WAITING becomes your normal and it is NOT EASY.  But then, there are times when things move LIGHTNING FAST and you're trying hard to keep up!  I keep saying WAIT! I need to take a picture! or WAIT! I gotta write that date down!  or WAIT!  We gotta process what's happening here!  I remember during Mary's process that I forced myself to BE IN THE MOMENT and document each thing as it happened.... but things are moving so fast around here that I'm struggling to detail the moments!  WHAT A WONDERFUL STRUGGLE!

Here's a rundown of what's happened in just the last couple of weeks!

June 11:  We receive PA (pre-approval) for our precious Lottie and begin to work on the next round of paperwork for USCIS (United States Citizenship and Immigration Services)

June 13:  Once you receive PA, you're allowed to request an update.  You can submit a few questions to the orphanage, but it is not guaranteed that they will be answered.  Updates are completely voluntary for the orphanage and many folks don't get one at all.  We decided on 12 questions (current measurements, illnesses/medications, soothing techniques, favorite toys, eating habits, etc.) and sent them to our agency for translation with fingers crossed that the orphanage would respond.

June 16:  Jack Powell turns 19.  He's still off doing Mission Serve stuff.  I miss him and thinking about where he is and what he's doing makes it hard to concentrate sometimes.

June 17:  Joe enjoys Father's Day thinking about the fact that he's got FOUR kids... ages 19, 16, 6, and 1.   Sometimes that makes us laugh.  Sometimes that makes us take a deep breath.  Sometimes we shake our heads and wonder what in the WORLD is the Lord thinking.  Sometimes we smile real big cause we realize how this is going to be SO GREAT.  Sometimes we have to go lay down.

June 18:  Max Powell turns 16 and gets his Driver's License.   This is not adoption related, but it adds to the status of my BRAIN during these days.

(16 presents for your 16th birthday..... mostly silly stuff...... his favorite coffee creamers, a few gift cards to keep in his car, beef jerky, pajamas, car wash stuff...... you know:  16 year old boy stuff.  Ha!)

June 19:  LOA (Letter of Acceptance) is received at our agency!  This sweet piece of paper is our official acceptance of Lottie's file..... WE WANT HER, China.  WHERE DO WE SIGN???

June 20:  Our paperwork for USCIS (now complete with the LOA) is sent to the "lockbox" in Texas.  This step usually takes about 2 weeks.

June 24:  Mary Powell's GOTCHA DAY!  She's been with us for FIVE YEARS. As always, we watched the videos from that day over and over, ate Chinese food at Mr. Chen's, and pulled a gift from China from the stash of gifts we bought while in country.  This year, it was a "province doll".... Shanghai, of course! It is absolutely CRAZY that Mary has been with us for five years!  I can remember EVERY DETAIL of the day I met her..... the sounds, the smells, what the room looked like and how hot it was.... I fell in love with her before we even met! Oh my goodness, what would we do without Mary Powell???

June 25-29:  Mary's swimming lessons.  I could sit and watch Coach Anne teach kids to swim ALL DAY.  It's like MAGIC.

June 25:  We send off our stuff to get our Chinese Visas in our passports

June 26:  Visa stuff is submitted to the Chicago consulate.  It'll be picked up in about two weeks.

June 27:  We sent a care package to Lottie! She'll get a sweet little photo album with all our pictures in it!  HOPEFULLY, someone will show that book to her during the next couple of months and when we meet her for the first time, she'll think, "Hey.  I know you.  You're in my book. My nanny read me that book.  You people are Mama, Baba, Sister, and Brother.  I like you!"  We also included some treats for the nannies and some things for the other kiddies in the foster care center.

June 28:  UPDATE ANSWERED!!!  The BEST EMAIL EVER comes through from our social worker saying that not only did the foster care center where Lottie is living respond to ALL of our questions, but they sent TWO new pictures and THREE new videos!  I hadn't even had time to get worked up about having to WAIT for the update!  They sent it before I could even worry about why they hadn't sent it yet!!!  And getting PICTURES and VIDEOS along with it..... I CANNOT EVEN TELL YOU.  In one of the videos, the nannies are trying to get her to take a few steps..... they're holding out a bottle to her and she's reaching for it.... but no steps...... and those women are just CACKLING around her..... she looks at them and grins and they just laugh and laugh..... We laugh a lot here in Powellville, so knowing that she's surrounded with laughter and joy means SO MUCH.  I do not know these women, but just hearing them laugh makes me know that we could be the best of friends.  I do so hope I get to hug their necks when I get to China.  They are loving my baby and teaching her to laugh.  The Lord knows us so well, doesn't he?  He totally knows that folks in this family LAUGH..... and Lottie is going to fit right in.

One BIG answer to prayer came with the update.  Lottie spent a bit of time in the hospital as an infant and left with a specific treatment regiment.  Her file indicated a particular medicine that she was put on as she left the hospital.  I had, of course, GOOGLED that medicine and learned that it's not necessarily something you want your baby on for an extended period of time.  I was WORRIED about it.  But the Lord constantly reminded me..... WORRY ABOUT NOTHING - instead, PRAY ABOUT IT.  So, boy oh boy... have I been lifting that one up.  I've prayed SO HARD that she would come home WITHOUT that medicine.  I prayed that her current treatment be minimal. In the update, one of the questions we asked was "Is she on any current medications?"...... Because we were at Mary's SWIMMING LESSONS when the update came through (great timing, right?), Joe was reading the answers to me while I sat there and watched Mary learn the freestyle.  When he got to the one about the medications, we were so thrilled to see "No" as the answer!  Praise you, Lord!  Now I'll move on to worry - I mean PRAY - about something else!  Ha!

I've started googling things about her home province, joined Facebook groups for her orphanage, looked up flights, started my packingforChina shopping, made a list of things to do to get my school plans in order, and STARED AT HER PICTURE a whole lot.  Lottie Gene Powell, I love you so much.  You don't know us yet.... and I know the days ahead will be filled with unknowns.  Things may be scary and confusing.  We won't smell right and definitely won't be speaking words that you'll understand.  But I'm praying so hard that the Lord prepares your heart to meet ours.  I'm praying that you'll have SO MUCH COURAGE and SO MUCH TRUST and feel SO MUCH LOVE.  You don't know it yet, but you have a mother who loves you SO MUCH.  I think about you constantly.  And although I haven't met you yet, I am SO VERY THANKFUL that I get to be your Mama.  My cup overflows, sweet girl.

Lottie Gene Powell

The Powell family has someone they'd like you to meet......

We are honored, blessed, and overcome with JOY to introduce you to our newest little one:

Lottie Gene Powell

I've been staring at this little nugget's face for over a week now and have been ABOUT TO POP to tell it to everyone I've known.  I've lied to exactly 912 people over these last few days as they've asked if we'd heard anything from China and I've told them, "No, still waiting...." while inside my head I was screaming, "YES!  WE HAVE HEARD FROM CHINA!  WE HAVE ANOTHER DAUGHTER AND I AM JUST BEYOND WITH EXCITEMENT!"  But we couldn't make the news public until we got PA - Pre-Approval from the Chiner..... AND WE GOT IT TODAY!  OH, I'm so relieved!  I'm so thankful!  I'm so ALL THE GOOD THINGS.

This adoption process has been a doozy.  It began last March with smooth sailing on the Home Study process.  We sped through that stuff and were DTC (that means our Dossier went To China) on September 22, 2017.  Then we received our LID (that means we had a Log In Date) on September 29, 2017.  THEN WE WAITED FOR A MATCH.  For a little over EIGHT months we waited for a match.  You'd think that with three other BUSY kids in the house, time would just fly right on by.... Mary was learning how to read, Max had football, Jack was doing his college thing, Joe was working and I was teaching.....being busy makes the wait easier, right? WELL NO.  IT DID NOT.  I made it through the holidays okay, but once January hit, I was a mess.  We BOTH were in a mess (Joe was worse off than I was!!!)  

I just KNEW we'd be matched by Spring Break and travel to get our girl before the end of the school year.  I just KNEW that I'd have all summer to bond and stuff.  I just KNEW that she'd be around 5 or 6 and just walk right into Rock Quarry with me in the fall.  

Well, what do I know?  NOTHING.  I know NOTHING.  But, thankfully, I love and trust a God that knows EVERYTHING.  And He is teaching me to GET OUT OF THE WAY and LET HIM.  I stink at this.  I am a planner.  I MIGHT be happy when I'm in control of things.  WELL.... NO.  That's not the Lord's way.  So, we WAITED.....

The school year ended and I was SO SAD..... no Lottie.... and no real hope on the horizon that she was close.  You see, China's been going through A LOT of changes recently with their adoption program.  Some of it is VERY GOOD..... with the lifting of the one child policy and more acceptance of children with medical special needs, there has been a HUGE increase in DOMESTIC adoptions in China.  THIS IS GREAT!  But also, in December, China ended ALL partnerships between adoption agencies and orphanages.  This has been the MAJOR way that agencies matched families for the last 5-6 years.... and it ended on December 31, 2017.  China has also implemented a lot of other rules and policies that I don't quite understand, but that have caused some slow-down in the process.  I say all that to say.... I WAS SAD and THERE WAS NO LOTTIE.  I'd even come to the point where I kinda growled at people who said, "Well, it's all in the Lord's timing....."  In my brain, I was 15 months pregnant and people were telling me to be patient.  Ugh on THAT.

Anyhoo...... we sent Jack off to work at Mission Serve and then, a few days later, left for the beach for Joe's office seminar thingie that we go to every year.  I just kept thinking about how I just KNEW Lottie would be with us on that trip.  (Again - I know nothing.)  After a day at the beach and pool on Friday, we'd settled into our room for a little nap before dinner.  Joe had gone down to greet some of his agents that were coming in for the conference, and Max, Mary, and I were snoozing.  UNTIL THE PHONE RANG.  I texted Joe to GET UP TO THE ROOM cause LIFELINE WAS ON THE PHONE!  When you've waited for a while to be matched and your social worker calls you late in the afternoon on a Friday, it usually means SOMETHING GOOD IS ABOUT TO HAPPEN.  

We didn't want to wake Mary up, so Joe and I ran into the tiny little bathroom and put our social worker on speaker phone.  She said they'd just received a file of a NINETEEN MONTH old little girl.  I repeat:  NINETEEN MONTHS OLD.  She said some words about her medical need, told us where she was, and some other stuff.... I really have no idea..... I was SHOCKED.  We told her that we'd LOVE to see the file!  Several agonizing minutes later, THIS FACE popped up on our screens:

Please note:  She is playing with duct tape.  Girl already likes school supplies like her Mama and sister. I cannot even.

THERE WERE EVEN VIDEOS WHERE SHE SAYS MAMA!  I've only stared at these pictures now for every second of a solid week and have watched the videos a gozillion times.  She is precious.  And beautiful.  And smart.  And perfect.  And awesome.  AND SHE IS OURS.

We spent the next few days researching her special need, hooking up with other adoptive moms and talking through the need, getting medical reviews done, and submitting paperwork to say she's OURS! Mary and I came back to VBS.  Joe went to work everyday.  Max had football.  Jack was doing whatever he's doing with Mission Serve..... AND WE WERE KEEPING A SECRET THAT WAS AMAZING!!  Before we could officially tell China that we are her family, we had to do an official "referral" call with our social worker.  So, in the chaos of the Friday of VBS, I huddled up in a room at the church and talked with our social worker about this sweet thing and the next steps in the process.  That afternoon, we submitted our Letter Of Intent - LOI - to China!  Joe stepped back into his role as the Master of All the Paperwork and filled everything out perfectly!  And then we waited AGAIN.  

Until TODAY!  We just got a call from our social worker that we officially have PA for our Lottie and that our next step, LOA, should come very quickly.  Because we've been logged in and waiting for so long (!!!!!), these couple of steps happen very quickly.  HOORAY!!!

We still aren't sure when we'll travel, but I've got a handful of pictures, three videos, and a mess of China packing lists to keep me busy.  

Thank you all SO MUCH for your prayers and encouragement.  We have laughed A LOT these last few days in knowing that the Lord has brought us another ONE YEAR OLD..... cause we're not getting any younger.  But we are growing more and more thankful and blessed, that's for sure!  

I may not be the youngest mom in the playgroup, but I'm definitely one of the most grateful!  The Lord has done GREAT things for us, and we are FILLED WITH JOY!!!!