Thank you, Show Hope!

I wish these photos were as vivid as the rainbow looked in real life!

We received almost the best news this week -- the best news would be a referral, of course! We had a wonderful surprise waiting in our mailbox: a letter arrived from Show Hope telling us that we have been awarded an adoption grant to help with a portion of our adoption costs!

We are very grateful and kind of shocked. We have applied to four grant organizations so far, and we knew they were all long shots because so many deserving families apply for a limited amount of funds. We are profoundly thankful to the donors who made our grant possible, and to Steven and Mary Beth Chapman for creating the foundation.

Most of all, we feel so cared for by God. He is truly showing himself to be our provider in tangible ways, and making the financial part of adopting feel like an adventure instead of something impossible.

Just wanted to share . . .

Just wanted to share a link to a great article about international adoption, specifically about the corruption that sometimes happens. I am certain that no one who reads our blog wants to gain a child at the expense of another family.

The information in this article made so grateful for the high ethical standards of both Dillon International and ISRC (the baby home where Anya Rashi and her new sister were/are being cared for). It also contains an explanation of the Hague Convention, for those who have wondered what that is.

When we go through the waiting, and the court process, it can seem endless. I think this time around, I will appreciate every day of the delay -- it's one of the things that guarantees that our children are legally and ethically brought into our family.

The article is called "The Baby Business," and I found it on this blog:
www.betheanswerforchildren.wordpress.com

Adoption quotation

It is nothing spectacular. I suppose a lot of people could look at this picture and say, "So?" And yet the picture is everything. It is everything in its inescapability, as is any quiet work of nature -- a ladybug on a blade of grass -- a tiger on a rock in the afternoon sun -- a mother and her daughter. A mother who was born on one side of the world and a daughter who was born on the other. How did it happen? How did they find each other? There can be no earthly answer. There can only be a divine one.

from The Exact Same Moon by Jeanne Marie Laskas

Thank you, Marilyn, for sending this in the mail -- and for all you offer me as an adoptive mom, writer, follower of Christ, and someone who lives life with joy amidst unpredictability.

Many reasons to celebrate

We have had two party weekends in a row. The first was Peter's birthday, which we celebrated by seeing a Brewer baseball game (they won!) and spending a morning on the beach at Lake Michigan. He is the best daddy and husband in the world, according to our very unbiased sources.

That weekend also brought Memorial Day with it. We were happy to continue our tradition of watching our city's parade (it's also tradition that Peter and I will cry when the oldest veterans ride by), then planting our flowers and vegetable garden. Since we have kids that like to get dirty, that's always a great day.

Saturday brought a family wedding -- our nephew Christopher and his bride Angie were married, with Peter officiating. We had so much fun with the cousins, and roped our sister-in-law into taking a picture with the 5 of us for Anya Rashi's last post-placement report. Hooray! That's what the happy dance photo is for, at least in my opinion!

Thank you for your prayers for Peter's dad. He's doing very well with his cardiac rehab, and is able to drive again and do his favorite May/June pastime -- watching the NCAA softball and baseball tournaments. Please keep praying for his mom, who is still pretty shaken up by the whole experience. They will be married 50 years in August, and their lives are truly so entwined emotionally, spiritually, and in every other way.