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!!!!