He always provides....

It's always scary to take that "leap of faith"...to say "OK God, I hear you...I hear you telling me to ignore logic and add another child to our family through adoption...I hear telling us to take on another adoption when we really don't have the finances to pay for it all...I hear you telling us to have faith" It's not been easy...we've gotten alot of support, and I've made wonderful new friends, and we've been met with doubt, indiffernce, and I've been brought to tears by those I love the most...I'm not going to sit here and that I just woke up and said "Sure, God I'm in why not"...it's been TOUGH..some days I feel 100% sure others just 51%..but I know it's right...but I still worry...I worry about how it will affect my family, how it will affect us financially...and I know right doesn't equal easy....but then God does REALLY cool stuff to restore our faith, to show us He's with us - like Wednesday! Here's the scoop........

I work for Lexington Clinic, and they have a policy if a patient sends a letter or makes a phone call to complement your patient care of service, you receive a "gold badge" to wear at work instead of the stardard issue purple and black. In addition, there are two end of the year "Exceptional Customer Service Banquets". You attend one and at each there is a drawing for $1000.00. Anyone want to guess where I'm going with this!!! Guess who won the drawing!?!?! and guess who's never won anything ever in her entire life?? and guess who could really use a little extra cash for a certain trip to China that should be JUST around the corner!?!?!

Is God Cool or What???

The good, the bad and the beautiful!!!

I think we will start with the beautiful, because let's be honest, isn't blogging really 75% about photos anyway?? All four of beautiful children walked down the isle at my neice Kristen's wedding..it's been a fun busy wonderful couple of weeks! We had a blast last night! She and Justin were truly STUNNING! and they had the best looking bridal party I've seen in forever (especially since Mike and I were responsible for about 1/3 of it) :) I told them I was a bit concerned about loosing my "status" in the DeLuca family now....the status of having the most beautiful kids.... hahahaha...of course this was not at all humble and was met by all kinds of jabs by my sister in laws!!!!

The good......we are FINALLY! approved and have completed all steps on the US side of the paperwork chase to TA! Everything is finally in China and was cabled and dropped off by our agency rep last week to the US consulate in Guangzhou...these last few steps are actually predictable...(gasp) the paperworks dropped on Thursday December 2nd and picked up exactly two weeks later on Thursday December 16th...while there they make something called an 'Article 5'...our agency coordinator overnights this to CCAA (the big wigs who run the Chinese side of the adoption process) and THEN finallyfinallyfinallyfinally will issue us our TA to go get Will!!! (insert Angles singing here) USUALLY! this takes 2-4 weeks to get a TA once they get your Art 5...as most of you know, we are working and praying HARD to get to China by Jan 10th for Will's 4th Bday...this means we HAVE to get a 2 week TA...I know that's asking alot of China...so we ask ALL of you to please pray for us.... we've talked to our agency already (and they are sooooo wonderful) and have offered to do their best to get us out of town fast if the TA comes in time...so it's possible. I'll be chewing the furniture until once 12/16 comes waiting on that TA.....

The bad...I guess it really doesn't matter anymore now that our paperwork is IN China..but getting there, IT WAS BAD! USCIS took their sweetsweet time approving us and getting us out the door...@24 days and most families are seeing approval times in about 1/2 that...as a result we up at NVC the week of Thanksgiving which resulted in less staff a shorter week ect.ect...again..on day 11 we still aren't registered in the system. This twice as long as most families take to get throught NVC....
This ment we wouldn't make Thursday drop in Guangzhou and because of all the two week time chunks, our dreams of 1/11 and Wills 4th bday were pretty shot...I was one sad frustrated and tearful mamma on Monday. I decided Tuesday to FIGHT for that cable...and after 17 hours of repeated calls, over a total of 5 hours on hold, and 3 supervisors, that cable was succesfully sent to China at 11:30 Tuesday night JUST making my agency's request to get it to our coordinator on Wednesday (China is 12h ahead of us..so midnight here was noon there) Soooo, our chances are still only marginal, but Mike and I are soooo happy with marginal and hangin on to all hope!!!...no one said riding this emotional rollercoaster called adoption was easy...but boy am I ready to get off this time...I just want my boy home!!!!

So close, yet so far.....A carepackage for Will

Right before we traveled for Sammy, we sent and album of our family so he could see our faces and hopefully the nanny's would spend time with him talking about the transition and who we are and that we should be there in the next 6 weeks or so...It makes it feel close..But I still feel like the next few weeks are going to creep by!!

I've always felt if you sent the family photos to soon, the signifgence for everyone just wouldn't be there, and certainly at their young age it wouldn't stick...he has a bed pillow with our photos i sent in the fall, so maybe he's been sleeping with it for a while??

We also sent a disposable camera, a letter and some candy. We want to be thinking good things when he's looking at our pics!! here's a copy of our letter!

Dear Zhang Liang

Your Mommy and Daddy are working hard to finish the process so we can come see you in China and bring you to the United States to live with us. We are very excited and can't wait to have you at home. You will have three sisters and Zhang Jun will be your brother. We have alot of fun, and there are alot of toys to play with. We are all very nice and we will take good care of you! We have sent some picture of us so you can get used to what we look like. We will see right after the Holidays.

We love you!!

Mommy, Daddy and family


and...we finally got our 800 approval after a long painful wait! Much longer than the average, don't know why we can never get out of that place quickly....i take that back, yes i do...it's our officer!

New Pictures....please can I just go get him already!!!

FINALLY!! new pictures! It feels like forever! It's been since June since we've seen any new pics of his sweet face! My hearts a flutter and the tears are flowing! He looks so sweet, and so great! He and Sam are just about exactly the same size! He's actually 2 inches shorter and 3 pounds heavier, shouldn't really notice it. God did it again...I have to say, I've been one grumpy bug about my 800 approval, it should come today or tomorrow, but of course it's on the long side of normal...no quick approval for us. But i guess we go when it's time, not when WE want...but prayers for quick process would still be appricated!!! Enjoy my sweet baby..it's all I can do it stare at him!!! don't forget, clicking on the pics makes them bigger and cuter<3

I hate those mom's that brag about their kids all the time ;)

WARNING: If you hate those blog entry's where the mom's brag about their kids constantly...STOP READING NOW, and go do something else...

Ok, you've been warned
I'll start with my oldest:

Jessa:

she got straight A's! and she won the MQ Halloween costume contest for her grade for the 3rd year in a row! and I'm so proud of the choices she's making starting out adolescents! she thinks she want to go to Lexington Catholic HS, and she's a bit to uptight about her placement exam coming up next weekend...but she's still going to try out for SCAPA (creative arts school) and she's even more uptight about THAT audition...she's quite talented on the stage, and a great writer! pray for a little peace for my little girl. I'm sooo proud of her, and I may be so unhumble, she becoming such a beautiful young lady!

Kenna:

she's having a FABULOUS school year! Mostly A's with a sprinkle of B's if I may brag! And what a little soccer player...who knew?? I had to BEG her to sign up and play..Brynn wanted to play, she had NO interest and she's the one who cried the night after her last game and is begging to play indoor winter soccer! and she can DANCE! sometimes I have to tell her..please don't move like that, it makes me nervous...and she's only 9! and she's got spunk and a will of her own...and we LOVE her for it!!

Brynn:

heaven's missing an angle when God sent this one to us. This is one sweet child. With a head full of ringlets, huge innoscent brown eyes, and a TREMENDOUS sense of humor it's hard not to fall for her. I missed all my kids when I sent them off to kindergarden...but I really mourned when she left. I laughed myself silly everyday. You never knew what was coming out of her mouth. I know my MIL felt the same and she raised 6 children. She also has something special with God. A natural draw to the faith. From the time she was a toddler she would go into my Inlaws grotto in their back yard and talk to Mother Mary and the saints, and when she would stay with them while I worked whe would tell Nanny she needed to "talk to the angles". When "Our Lady of Fatima" came to visit our church and when went to visit her, most were paying refuge in the pews, Brynn however drops on her knees directly in front of the statue and tells in an open voice just like conversation how she knows how special she is and how lucky we are to have her. Many in the front few isles were wiping tears and came up to me later to tell me how sweet that was to witness. She also has such a sensitive heart. No disciple needed here. If you look at here wrong she will burst into tears then you will be flooded with "I'm sorry" cards. this of course DOES NOT apply to arguring with her sister!!!

Sammy:

To come later...blog time over!

Guess What??? (insert happy scream)

We got our LOA!!!! woot woot!! For my friends out there NOT from adoption land, that means China has reviewed our mile thick dossier and has deemed us suitable to parent Zhang Liang! (Will) It basically means China's said...HE'S YOURS!!!! happydancehappydance!!! Monday night we celebrated with our dearest friends the Hall's and Aunt Michelle at our favorite Chinese restaurant. I'd been awake since 2:30a anticipating the potential arrival of approvals and stressing about the potential disappointment if they DIDN'T arrive....(statistically the DO arrive on Monday's) and after a TingTso beer and a very full belly I quickly CRASHED! It was a wonderful emotional day! Waiting to bring home your adopted child is truly one crazy emotional rollercoaster!! The highs are soo great and lows are just maddening....this week, I'm enjoying my high!! I'll be on the crazy bus waiting for TA soon enough friends!!!!

Oh, and the Fed Ex guy said it was the first time he'd ever been called "the stork" and been photographed delivering a package....I learned from last adoption, it's fun to freak them out a little when they deliver VERY IMPORTANT adoption papers!! You should see their faces when a crazy woman waving a camera comes running out the door as soon as they stop their truck!!!!!

The ties that bind.....

WARNING: Potential wordy blog entry!!

I've had alot on my mind...it started with an aquaintance from church who I am tied to through the wonderful world of adoption. She and her husband are alittle more fresh faced and younger than us, but they have this sweet, energetic, cherub face 5yo little fella from a domestic adoption, you can't help but be drawn to! Her mother connected us, and we've been friendly since....this sweet families world has been one crazy rollercoaster the last 3 weeks. Everything from the glory of a referral of a new son, and the beauty of childbirth, to the struggles of newborns/breastfeeding and a birthmother, to the ULTIMATE heartbreak of having to receive the phone call............"we think the birthmothers changed her mind"

Why is this so important to me and why all the details on my blog? First of all I'm a caring Christian and would of course my heart would ache for my friend...but really people the intensity of my emotions were a little surprising..the morning I read the news I couldn't leave the house for the spontaneous tear that seemed to spring from my face everytime I thought of them..All I could think, is what if that had happened with Sammy? (I know impossible with China..it's empathy) I remember the immediate intensity of the love I felt for my newborn babies and the pleasant surprise at the protectiveness and love I developed for Sammy in just a few days...I prayed almost constently for them...my heart just BROKE for their situation (including the birthmom)...my 13 yo even eventually gave me hug and told me she'd ask her class to pray and not to worry it would be ok...(alright mom, get a grip the kids are noticing) FYI - their situation isn't 100% resolved things are looking more positive now! They would appreciate prayers

and my friend Angie - someone I met on a chat group while advocating for my "now son". We had lots in common including our Catholic faith. Ended up she lived in Louisville and after a few million emails we started driving back and forth to get together for lunch and playdates...I've made a new and dear friend!

and Jennifer from New Orleans...oh could I go on about that story! When Sammy was adopted he was the first to leave the orphange in a year and a half - there were just not many adoptions from there. When I visited those kids, one of the most heartbreaking things that I couldn't get to leave my mind was the from there history, most of those children would never leave.. When we visited a little girl captured my heart after we scared her to death! Here's a link to a short video (and yes, that is Will in the Tan overall and orange shirt)...I so worried about her and all of them and I PRAYED hard for those kids!!! she and Will specifically...since then...praise the Lord over 11 kids have found homes and left the orphanage...do you know who the FIRST one after Sammy was....that little girl in the yellow!!! (prayers answered??...I think so!!!) I've stayed close with her mom and we are meeting for the first time this month and I CANNOT!! wait to see Wesleigh again!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sUZuHlxuuD8

and Jackie...my email buddy from our last agency who kept me sane during Sam's adoption! We got SOOO lucky and traveled together to China! This past summer we detoured to Charlotte on our way home from vacation and had an overnight visit!

I could keep going, but I won't you get it!...what I finally relized and have never really put together is that adoption binds us immediately...we are family because of it...we can support and understand each others experiences like noone else. Adoption isn't for everyone..it's amazing, it's hard, it's one of the best decisions of my life and one of the biggest emotional rollercoasters I've ever experienced...and I thank God everyday for leading me here. If you are considering it...please know you will not only gain a new child, but you will also gain a family if you open your heart and you are never spirtually emotionally or physically alone if you don't want to be....

and I am so thankful for you all!!!!