Paint, Paint, Paint

Why does adoption have to involve so much domestic work? I signed up to adopt a little girl from China, not to have that used as an excuse to paint every room in the house ( well, not every room but it sure feels like it).

This past Tuesday we received our official documents to sign from China. We signed these and dropped them off at the adoption agency the following day. The next step is to wait for our official travel notification. This may take anywhere from 3-5 weeks before we hear back from China when we will be allowed to travel.

So..... in the meantime, my wonderful wife wants all of the kids bedrooms painted since there will be some changes that occur when Grace arrives home. Grace will sleeep in her new bright yellow bedroom with Sheryl for the first several days to the first few weeks and Madeline will then be transitioned into the bedroom with Grace so I can have my wife back. Sarah's bedroom was first one painted even though she doesn't have to move. We are working on Matthew's bedroom this weekend. I didn't work this hard when we brought our first child home from the hospital.

We have finally decided on the specifics of her name. Her first name will be Grace and her middle name will be Hui which is part of her Chinese name. We are still hoping to take all three kids with us to China but it will depend on whether the travel to China is near their spring breaks or whether it is near the end of the year and semester finals. We have also been blessed in getting connected with many families that have adopted from China and from other countries.

If our adoption is this much work and so much of a struggle sometimes, not to mention the length of time that we have waited, then how much more difficult was each of our adoptions into the Kingdom and how patiently God the Father waited for the correct timing to bring each of us into His family. "And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am." John 14:3 We have a place prepared for Grace and it's now only a matter of time and details. "Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world." James 1:27