Christmas Card 2008

From left to right,
Delilah's Siblings
Kegan: 18
Jillian: 14
Cami: 3
Lauren: 22

Turning a Corner

Last winter Delilah stayed warm in this fluffy green snowsuit.
How much of winter will she spend without us this year??

Time is moving forward.
We are inching toward China.
The holidays pass time in warp speed.
How can Thanksgiving already be over?

We are close to thirty days since our log in.
We are thinking in new ways.

We had flu shots yesterday.
I don't usually get the vaccine
and I don't usually get the flu.
But I want to do all I can to ensure I am healthy
when China calls our name.

I sort through clothes and Delilah has a pile.
She has shoes.
Cami sometimes saves a cookie for her sister in a bag,
and she is willing to save ALL her beans.
But we aren't that close yet I tell her.
So eat the beans.......

Aside from you,
you who have found my blog here in space,
the secret is ours.
We will tell our families after Christmas.
We've held onto this secret so long,
it will be hard to let it go.

We don't keep the secret to hurt anyone,
and I hope we will not be misunderstood.
We want Delilah to come into the family
in her own special time.
She deserves a moment that is hers.
As she steps
into
a place that we have prepared for her.

Today I wonder if we are near or far,
in this process where anything can happen.
I wait contentedly
while I dream Delilah home.

We Have a Log In Date

I can finally say
the real wait is upon us.
Our dossier was officially logged in
at the
CCAA
on November 4th, 2008.

Now we wait
for words
and good news.
We wait our turn
to be called forth
to travel.

Our family beats with an extra heart
and we dance in secret
and smile at strangers.

How odd
that we live leaning forward
toward our little Lilah
who doesn't yet know
she's waiting for us.

Girls in Hats

Oh, the fun we will have!
A special angel sent me the top two photos
of Delilah
trying on different hats!
The bottom photo is Cami in her Easter hat.

The more I learn,
the closer our journey brings us
to Delilah,
the more certain I am.....

that she was chosen,
not by us,
but for us.
There is something much larger than me
at work here.

I continue to be humbled by the power
and the glory
of each new discovery,
each new comfort,
each new promise.

I am not worthy,
but I am willing,
and I guess that goes a long way
sometimes.

Dear Delilah,
our dress up trunk is overflowing.
There are hats and scarves
jewels and clickity clack shoes
plenty enough
for two little girls.
Dear Delilah,
We wait for you.