The Wait is Almost Over!





After waiting 80 days our Letter Seeking Confirmation(LSC) has arrived. The LSC is the official referral from China saying that we can adopt Knox.

The signed LSC (Picture taken by Jaycee)



We are beyond excited to meet our son! Yesterday we received our 30 page China Travel guide and WOWZERS its intense to say the least. The beginning of the guide its super exciting reading about China and all the places we will go and the amazing things we will see. It has the website of the hotels we may be staying with a sample itinerary and packing guide,(whole other blog! they suggest only bringing 3 outfits! That's gonna be a problem for me!) Also included in this guide is the DO NOT DRINK ANY WATER IN CHINA information, the guide for what shots we will need, and the fun information that says to expect to get sick from some food and what medications we will need! No kidding here is a quote from the guide

"Bring every over-the-counter medication you think you might need: antihistamine, acetaminophen, melatonin (for jet lag), and a *large* bottle of Pepto-Bismol (not the cute travel size).
You may get sick - REAL SICK - with a food borne illness. Use Pepto-Bismol, not an Imodium product. Pepto-Bismol will slow the diarrhea and let the "bug" flow out. An Imodium product will trap the bug inside. Bring your favorite comfort foods. We brought instant oatmeal. ** This is a good reason to travel with your spouse and/or another adult. ** "

Even with the scary parts in this 30 page guide we are still stoked! It's the feeling that women have when they know its time to deliver their child. We know it will be painful, stressful, and we are even prepared for the diarrhea! We are so ready to meet our son for the 1st time that all of the uncomfortable stuff is worth it. I mean just look at this face!

The final thought I would like to leave with you is the cost of the adoption. Along with the guide we also received the estimated cost of travel. We are still in need of $7,000 before we can travel. Our travel date hasn't been scheduled yet but we are praying to travel in February 2015. If you would like to give a donation to help us bring Knox home to Texas you can go on our go fund me page
Foster Go Fund Me Account  We know that November and December are usually pretty expensive months with everyone getting ready for Christmas but we also know that in these months that some are also very generous. So if you want to help our little angel then please go on the site and give.

Ladies and Gentleman we have been matched!!!

On August 8th we received a profile to consider. I was with the girls at Hawaiian Falls when the email came in. At first I thought I should wait and look at the profile with Josiah but 30 seconds later I was downloading the profile onto my dropbox. As soon as that sweet lil face hit my screen I got chills, started laughing and tearing up at the same time. Then I decided I should wait until Josiah looked at the profile before showing the girls but then 3 minutes later I showed them!



I then felt really bad about leaving Josiah out so I called him and told him we had a profile to consider. Josiah quickly hung up the phone and checked out the pictures and medical records and called me back and said "Let's do it! I want a SON"!  That's right people we are adding a boy to this crazy girl family!

Meet our soon to be son Josiah "Knox" Foster

 

We will call him Knox.

He just turned 3 and is from Changsha in the Hunan Province

We could not be happier! Josiah is stoked to say the least. Jaycee is constantly saying that he is hers and is his boss since she is older. Lord help us!

 

"Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails." Proverbs 19:21

 

This text has been true in our lives over and over.  When we think we have a plan or a strategy God's plans are greater.  When we started this journey a little boy was not part of the equation.. at least in our minds, since we were adopting from China.  However, at least at this point in time, it appears to have always been in God's equation.

 

 

Waiting is a Beat Down!

Its been a while since our last update...well because there really hasn't been alot to say.  Waiting is not my favorite.  Summer has been gone by quickly.  We did get one  small fundraiser in with Josiah playing an impromptu acoustic concert at the golf course here in The Colony.  Had several friends and neighbors come to support us and rock out to some 90s tunes. 

We finally made an in person visit to the Gladney adoption center in Fort Worth for our two day pathways training and tour.  We were the only couple from Texas at the training.  The training was very helpful, even though Josiah was dreading it.  We both learned so much and met some great couples who are going through the same journey to adopt from China.  It was great date weekend as we enjoyed Sundance square in downtown Fort Worth...and some mambo taxis from taco diner!

 



We were hoping to have our new family member in Texas by Christmas but the matching and dossier process didn't go as fast as we thought it would so we used our saved vacation days to go on a big family vacation with my parents, grandmother, sisters, brother in laws and all the kids! We had an amazing time.

 

We also celebrated our 15 year anniversary while on vacation with a great dinner cruise on the bay at South Padre.

 

 

 

As of now our dossier is completed!  We are currently awaiting to be matched and will hopefully be getting a profile to view in the near future!

 

Cheesecakes, yard sales, and T-shirts!

We are up and running with our fundraiser's! We are speechless at the support we have gotten from our family, friends, teachers and our neighborhood. Our first fundraiser was T-shirts. We found a local T-shirt guy who designed and created our shirts. It has been so cool to see people at church, in the neighborhood, and at my daughter’s school wearing our shirts! We have brought in about $2100 from the shirts and general donations to our GOFUNDME Site. http://www.gofundme.com/6e8wrc

My nephew Caleb and my Mimi rocking their shirts

Next was CHEESECAKES!

This was actually a surprise fundraiser. One of my sweet, amazing, beautiful, smart, basketball super star babysitters invented “Cheesecakes for a Cause.” She picks a cause and sells delish NY or chocolate cheesecakes for $30. No joke I had no idea she was going to do this for us. One day I just went on Facebook and I check my notifications and there it was cheesecakes for a cause for the Foster family adoption. This girl has been baking up a storm and has already made about $500 for the adoption fund. 

  

Meet Rachel creator of "Cheesecakes for a Cause"

Yard sale!

MY sweet EMMA LOVE! She loves hitting up the Yard Sales with her Nana.




Keep in mind I am NOT a fan of doing yard/garage sales. It's not that I'm too good for yard sale shopping or that I don't like when my mom scores me awesome things from yard sales. I just really like sleeping in on Saturdays, I never have cash, I will never ask if someone will go down on a price, and I tend to get completely overwhelmed at all of the different items at a yard sale. Too many decisions! (I also hate buffets for the same reason) back to the yard sale... We moved 2 years ago so I had a major de-cluttering and donated a ton of stuff to the CCA. I did not have anything for a yard sale! So when my neighbor and sweet friend suggested having a yard sale to raise $ I said "no way!" They didn't take no for an answer and then got Josiah pressuring me so I finally gave in. Since we didn't have anything to sale we put the word out to our church, our bible study group and neighbors that we needed gently used (no old McDonald's toy's) yard sale stuff. We got what we asked for! The donations poured in. Good stuff too like Miss Me jeans, Vera Bradley, nice furniture, refrigerators, bikes, great toys and much much MUCH more. 

So much, my house looked like an episode of Hoarders!

After a long night of pricing all of our great stuff we were up bright and early to start the yard sale. We could not have pulled it off without help from our AMAZING friends and my mom the yard sale guru.

WE MADE OVER $1700.00 !!

(Funny story about the dog, Someone donated it to the sale. Jaycee would not let anyone close to it. People would ask about it and she would say “it’s not for sale”. Guess who bought it…Her Nana. Dogs name is now Bella Puddles Foster)

Even our pet bunny Ninja Helped Out!

We also have a go fund me site http://www.gofundme.com/6e8wrc where people who just feel generous give any amount they wish. No amount is too small. We are always humbled when people surprise us and give on the site and we love reading the comments.

Overall we have raised about $4200. We still have far to go but other fundraiser's in the works so of course I'll keep you posted.

The 411 on where we are on the adoption

Most of our paperwork/dossier has been sent to the Texas Secretary of State for authentication. Now our documents are at the Chinese Consulate in Houston being authenticated again. The final pieces of the puzzle will be the approved home study report and the CIS approval. The HS should be completed this week! We are just waiting for our FBI clearance. Once the HS is complete we can send off the CIS form (immigration paperwork). We are very close to getting matched with our daughter! I spoke with the case worker last week and she thinks we could be matched in a couple months and that it is VERY likely we will be traveling to pick her up in the fall!


Lord willing, This will be our Last EASTER as a family of only 5!!

All About the Benjamins

Cha Ching $$

2014 dodge grand caravan 21,071-$30,112

2014 Chevrolet Silverado  $26,552-48,565

Bass boat $20,000

Private school $16000 for 8th grade

Louis Vuitton purse $2,010

To adopt a little girl from China $30,000!

I think we are getting a good deal! 

Adoption is expensive. So far we have spent $7,810 and the bills will continue to come. Home study fees, Program fee, foreign facilitation/legal fee, translation fee, orphanage fee, travel fees and the list goes on. It's time for fundraisers!  I'm not that good at raising money. I'm really good at spending money, just ask Josiah.   I come from a long line of spenders. In fact while my Papa was in the hospital battling cancer he told my Mimi he knew all about the "leave the bags in the car until he left" move. My mom is a garage sale junkie and a clothes horse. I think my mom has 7 closets (In my moms defense 3 out of 7 closets are full of clothes from the 80's and 90's that she no longer wears but along with the shopping problem we share she is also a pack rat) .This is going to be a challenge. 

So far I have worked with a local t-shirt company to make adoption shirts to sell (see picture below). I only need to sell 2,977 shirts. I'm going to need a bigger fundraiser! So far the shirts have been really fun to sell. My girls have sold several to friends at school and to teachers. It has been so great for the girls to participate in bringing their sister home from China. I'm so grateful for the support.  Along with the shirts we have started an online fund from “GoFundMe” where people (you fellow readers) can send in funds. Here is the direct URL to our site:  

http://www.gofundme.com/6e8wrc  

No amount is too small. It gives the you the option of being anonymous or you can sign your name along with a note of encouragement.  We are currently researching and praying about the best options for raising the money.  As I sit here thinking of all my options I quickly get overwhelmed. I have to remember that God has turned our hearts toward adoption, toward China. He has started us on this journey He has called us. He is before all things and in Him all things hold together…Col 1:17. He knows our daughter’s name even though we don't. He knows the cost of adoption. He knows where and how the money will come. He will provide. He always has. Lord help me trust and lean on you and not on my own ability.

http://www.gofundme.com/6e8wrc  

The Paper Chase

FAQ

Where are you in the process of adoption?

The process of an international adoption is long and very detailed. The agency we are using is called Gladney and it is located in Fort Worth. The 1^st step is to complete the Gladney application.  Now this isn’t your normal 2 page application. This application includes papers to be notarized, copies of birth certificates, passports, ss numbers, marriage license, drivers licenses, proof of insurance, employment verification letters,  family pictures, finger prints, referral letters from friends, family, neighbors,  and the girls teachers,  domestic violence statements, pet vaccinations, and Doctors reports and the list goes on!!! The Doctors reports were fun to get. I’ve been tested for every drug and disease known to man and don’t even get me started of the stupid BMI test! 

The  home study.

 Right now we are waiting to hear back from our case worker to schedule the meeting. This meeting is causing me crazy stress! In my mind my home study interview will look like Piers Morgan interviewing Phil Robertson. I’m a nervous wreck! I know Josiah will breeze though his interview. He is smart and funny and well spoken.  I on the other hand will have to get though on my wits and right now my wits aren’t looking to sharp. Now here is where the real stress comes in.. the case worker is going to interview each of my kids alone! I will not be able to kick them under the table or even give them the hard stare smile that means I fear for their lives. They will be alone in a room answering questions about our family! My oldest daughter  will I’m sure “wow” the case worker. She is just like her dad. She loves kids and is super excited about the adoption everyone wants her to babysit. I bet she has already knit our China doll a blankie . My 10 year old (my mini me) gives me some reason for concern because she isn’t too excited about having to share a room and having  ANOTHER sister(she wanted a brother).  She is very smart and funny so I hope the case worker enjoys sarcasm.  Now my 4 year old makes me the most nervous.  Nothing get’s past her and she remembers EVERYTHING. Like the time when she wanted me to buy her this Mickey Mouse Christmas ornament. I said no… she was mad! That night at bedtime after reading her 100 books we prayed and I smiled and kissed her and she lovingly looks in my eyes and says “ You try to be sweet but you are just a mean mama!” She is a mess! She will say anything. Just yesterday she told me she can’t go back to mother’s day out because the dad who drives carpool has disgusting breath when he is unbuckling her car seat.  I can see it now Case worker-  “Do you love your Mom?”  J- “my mom try’s to be sweet but she is just a mean Mama” Folks I’m nervous, but as soon as our Home study is approved we can be matched with our daughter!

After the home study has been approved we will submit our immigration form (CIS). It can take up to 3 months for the CIS form to be processed so while we are waiting on that we are working with a Dossier service to help us with the foreign documents. Another fun 5 inch stack of paperwork! Once that is completed and sent to China and approved then we will get our travel visas approved, which can take a few weeks or months. After we get our travel approved we are off to china for 2 weeks to bring our daughter home. 

The Real Motivation

Now that were in the official process of international adoption and have announced it to many in our circle of friends, family, and co-workers very often we have been asked the simple question…..why? What led you to decide to adopt a child when you already have 3 of your own? Well, there are some basic and simple answers to that question. We want to help a hurting and abandoned child. We feel blessed that God has placed us in the United States and has provided for us so that we and every other family that makes at least 44K per year are in the top 1 percent of the World’s income. Bet you didn't know you might be a “1 percenter!” If you don’t believe me you can check your status here http://www.globalrichlist.com/. Also, we simply would like to have another child to love and welcome another daughter into our family.


 All of these reasons are true and good, but this is still not what lies at the heart and foundation for going on this journey of adoption. The heart of the matter is that we are also adopted children. That is, as believers in the Gospel of Jesus Christ we understand that we were once, because of our sin and rebellion, aliens, outsiders, children of wrath outside of the covenant family of God. The basic truth of the Gospel is that on the cross, Jesus in his substitutionary death lays the ground work for our adoption by the Father! We are not natural born children of God, but because of the cross, that which separated us from our Father has been taken out of the way. The wrath of God has been satisfied and we are adopted through Christ. Not only is adoption central to the gospel, but for God’s elect, this is has always been our destiny! “In love, he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.” Ephesians 1:5-6.


So for our family to adopt a child is to proclaim and live the Gospel and bring glory to the name of Jesus. The Gospel is a story of a Father with a heart for adoption. We hope, although imperfectly and fallibly, to live and breathe this message to our new daughter and to those in our community. “For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” Romans 8:15

Adoption??

Adoption….my whole life seems to be preparing me for this year.

Why Adoption? At first I was shocked by this feeling inside my heart to adopt a child that didn’t come from my womb. I have 3 perfect daughters (12, 10, & 4) why would I want another? I was SHOCKED that God would plant this idea into my husband’s heart. We love our girls but we sometimes dream about our life once our girls are out of the house. Yes I’m that mom.

That mom who feeds her kids McDonalds.

That mom who claims that the family bed is the best because of the special bond but really I love the family bed because I can just roll over to feed the baby instead of getting up.

That mom who plays to win even if the game is candy land and that mom who has always kept the score at every soccer, basketball and softball game my kids have ever played even when they were 4.

I still gag at poopie diapers, throw-up, and snot. I am not the mother who "finds joy" in these activities.


I can be VERY selfish and self centered. Why would God plant adoption into my husband’s heart!

That was until I felt this nudge from the Holy Spirit myself. Somehow someway God changed my heart. As I think back over my life I discovered that the seed of adoption was planted many years ago. Now that seed has laid dormant for a long time but it was there. When I was young, my parents became foster parents. Our first foster child came into my life when I was 8. Into my home walked not 1, not 2, but 3 sisters ages 9, 10, 11. My parents continued foster parenting for some time. They had a burden especially for troubled teenage girls. My life was crazy! Can you imagine taking in troubled teenage girls! I saw my parents love and forgive over and over. My parents were also youth pastors and my mom also worked 9 years as a chaplain for a Texas Youth Commission juvenile prison! I have had too many “sisters and brothers” to count. My parents had the heart of adoption.


Not only was I raised in a home that loved and gave hope to the hurting, but I have been loving and teaching preschool since I was 18! How did I miss this training that God had been giving me? How did I not see Him softening my heart to love hurting children who were not “mine”? When I look back over my 32 years I can now see……Like Joshua when God called him to take the children of Israel into the Promised Land. Joshua’s whole time with Moses was preparing him to be the one to lead His people. God commanded Joshua to “be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” Am I afraid? Am I uncertain, have I had doubt? Yes!! When I think about this enormous calling God has placed on our hearts I can easily falter but then the Holy Spirit reminds me that the Lord my God is with me. The Holy Spirit reminds me of Philippians 1:6 “and I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” God planted this seed of adoption in my heart long ago and now it has grown. Lord willing 2014 love will cross oceans and we will be flying to China to pick up our daughter. God will be with us wherever we go.