I was finally right!

So, because things have been so crazy, this post is a little late.  The date I was finally right about receiving our LOA was Tuesday, January 15.  I was minding my own business, homeschooling my girls, and Logan called to tell me that our Letter of Acceptance had arrived at her office.  Very Excited!!!

Now to tell you about the craziness.  First of all, I should admit that I have a disorder known as "Time Optimism Disorder."  I always think I can get about 10xs as many things accomplished as humanly possible.  (A friend of mine coined the phrase "time optimism disorder" and I always thought she should try to get this diagnosis included in the DSM because I am pretty sure I am not the only one like this).  Anyway, when I got Logan's call, I had the delusion that I would have all of the paperwork done BEFORE the shipment came the next day and then be able to turn right around and overnight the package back on the same day.  Well, that didn't quite work out.  Between parental obligations :) and feeling absolutely horrible, I didn't get it done on Tuesday.  Or Wednesday.

Even though I was feeling quite sick, when the package came on Wednesday I was thrilled to see our long-awaited document.  One that originated in China.  Wow!

Thursday morning I got up really, really early hoping to get the paperwork done.  Nope.  Not done before I had to go into work for a couple of hours.  All day long I was weepy--crying at just about everything.  I was convinced that it was a medication side-effect, but I spoke to my sweet homeschool partner (who is also a pharmacist) and she told me that my crying was not a side-effect of the medication, but of something else: stress.

Todd came home at lunch and worked on the forms.  He had it almost completed before I came home from work.  I put the finishing touches on it and rushed it down to the overnight delivery place (that I will not mention for soon-to-be obvious reasons).  Todd was reluctant for me to overnight it because there was a snow storm coming through Birmingham (where the adoption agency is) and he was worried that it might get stuck on a truck somewhere, but I was determined to send our package on its way.  Tip from the Bible that I should have heeded:  Wives submit to your husbands as to the Lord (Ephesians 5:22)

I got to the store with 5 minutes to spare.  As I handed the man my document I said, "You will take care of these precious documents won't you?"  And he assured me that he would.  The delivery promise was for 10:30 on Friday.

Friday afternoon...no package at Lifeline.  I thought about the snow.  I thought about the fact that I forgot to put the package to the attention to someone in the China program.  I wondered where our package was.

Monday morning.  Todd asks for a trace of our package and we are assured that they will look diligently for the package.  They tell us it may take several days.  Monday afternoon...the package is found!!!  At the store where I dropped it off...

Tuesday morning.  The package finally makes it way to Birmingham.  Logan turns it right around and sends it on the USCIS for processing.  In the same day!  Yay!!

In the meantime, we have also applied for our visas :)  And I took the little girls on a trip to Knoxville to see my brother and his family.  I know we may not be able to travel for awhile when we get home, so we are trying to make the rounds.

And, as the diagnosis for my tears last week was stress, my sister-in-law showed me the perfect way to treat it.  She took us to a drive through safari.  The kids had buckets of food to feed to the animals and the animals (llamas, rhea, various cattle, goats...) stuck their heads in the van looking for food.  The kids were alternately rolling down the windows to feed them and then quickly rolling them up when the animal encounter gets too close.  Sometimes one child was trying to feed while another one was rolling up the window so food projectiles were careening off all surfaces in the van with some actually reaching the animals.  I cannot adequately describe it other than to tell you that it was totally hilarious and I recommend this treatment for anyone in the Knoxville area that needs a stress release.  Here are a few photos:

Oh, and the good news?  We got our overnight fee refunded.  Saved that money!!

We have complete confidence that God is in control of the timing of our travel.  We continue to pray for our daughter and our upcoming travel and we welcome any prayers offered in our behalf!  :)

Waiting...

Do you remember that old Heinz commercial?

You know, "the wai-ai-ting is the hardest part"

Here at the Johnsons, we can totally relate.

But, God continues to remind me that He is listening and He is here.  Recently in my quiet time, I read the verse,

"Sarah became pregnant and bore a son to Abraham in his old age, at the very time God had promised him.'  (Genesis 21:2)

That reminded of another verses that I had pondered during Advent:

"But when the right time came, God sent his Son, born of a woman, subject to the law."(Galatians 4:4)

And God reminds me that our daughter will come home...at the right time...at the very time God has promised.

And so I wait, and I hope.  I've decided that if every day I expect (hope, wait, watch expectantly) to get the phone call that we have LOA and are one day closer, eventually I will be right.  Right?