Thank you

In this post I will attempt, probably inadequately, to thank a whole host of people who have supported and loved us through this adoption process.  The end is in sight...and so is the beginning.  The real adventure awaits us! 

Thanks to my friend R who believed in the significance of our adoption call from day one and literally put her money where her mouth was.  She demonstrated that God had every intention of providing for what He put in our hearts to do and wisely encouraged us that "His will = His bill." She's also helping to care for our children while we're gone, a truly special gift.

Thank you to every single person who bought one pair of earrings or six, and to those who donated money above the cost of the earrings.  With every sale I thought, "Wow.  That just paid for [fill in the blank:  one of two dozen trips to the post office, a birth certificate, state authentication of two documents, fingerprinting, etc.]." 

Thanks to all those following and reading my blog.  What an encouragement you have been!  I'll be blogging from China, so keep reading. 

Thank you, dear family:  my parents, sister, sister-in-law, parents-in-law, cousin, and aunt and uncle, for your tremendous help both financially and practically, and especially for welcoming Jiushu into the family and loving him long before you ever met him. 

A special thanks to my lovely and talented friend Jennifer.  She gifted us a a very nice chest-of-drawers and offered to paint it whatever color I wanted.  I boringly chose white...but she totally could have given it pink and orange zebra stripes with a crackle finish!  Or anything else imaginable.  'Cause that's what she does.  You can read about Jennifer and her career here. 

There truly aren't enough words to thank my husband for wholeheartedly entering into this partnership with me.   It has not been easy, but he has persevered with grace, integrity, and love.  He is an amazing father and a wonderful husband.  I am beyond excited to experience China with him and to see him holding his new son!

Thanks, finally, to the very best Father I know.  He is teaching me to love like He does.