What's a girl to do?

I just posted my heart out -- Internet connection failed & poof! there goes my post since I hadn't saved it.....aahh!!!

OK: I'll just say this - 2 days of referrals for the last 30+ days of waiting. WOW?!?! This is new record uncharted waiting territory. At this point, 2008 is looking like our year for Lily (and not necessarily on New Years day). Craziness in China right now. I don't understand but I know that God has good plans. I have to focus on God's purposes for my life, not my plans, since that is what will last forever.

When the going gets tough, the tough get going ... to Disneyland, that is. We had a great day together at D-Land. We had a perfect time together - not surprising since it is the happiest place on earth (even if every Chinese girl in the LA area happened to be there at the parade sitting right near us!). It's all good :-) Hannah wanted me to buy her some kind of Cinderella doll at Disneyland - we were discussing it this afternoon before Jim got home for us to leave. I told her I wasn't getting a doll for her today b/c going to Disneyland is the treat. I said, "you know Hannah, a lot of kids don't get to go to Disneyland". It was quiet for a few seconds & then she said, "yeah, but a lot of kids do." I guess from her perspective, that is kind of true. Every time we go to Disneyland the place is filled with kids, right? I like her thinking but the answer was still no to the Cindy-doll :-)

Hannah is planning for her Broadway debut -- cracking me up as she asks no less than 100 questions a day about movie making, remembering your lines, how the camera works, when does the agent talk to the director, when do I think she will get to star in Annie? I am not kidding!!! This girl is focused on her dream of being on stage -- I won't be surprised if she gets there. She is very determined & focused -- I love it!!

What time is it in China?

Hannah woke up this morning coughing & came into bed with us. As she & I were going back to sleep (since it was 6am on a Saturday!?!) she said to me out of nowhere "what time is it in China?" Just broke my heart. Here she is trying to go back to sleep thinking about her sister somewhere in China. Sometimes I forget that she is waiting too. I get so caught up in my waiting & in Jim's waiting that I neglect the fact that Hannah has been waiting for Lily since she was 3. I realize she doesn't completely understand the concept of time (since I can fake her out with "in 5 minutes" and "5 minutes" extends to "15 minutes") but this has to feel just as long for her as it does for us.

The other day we were in the bookstore looking at cookbooks .. I was looking through a Chinese cookbook & Hannah wanted to see pictures of food that babies eat in China. She is really trying to imagine life for our little precious Lily somewhere in China.

Today from "31 Days of Praise", I read (from Day 7), "Thank you that in your Word I can see Your face and hear your voice. I can discover Your will and Your patterns for living and serving. I can develop deeper faith and confidence. Thank you that the Holy Spirit inspired Your Word and uses it to enlighten and guide me, and to change me more and more into Your image, from one degree of glory to another."


Isaiah 55:8-11 "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways", declares the Lord. "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. As the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater so is my Word that goes out from my mouth. It will not return to me empty but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it."

This is a jungle of waiting but I thank you, Lord, that we can trust You and praise You ....no matter what time it is in China.

Is there an Agent in the audience?

Hannah LIVE

Stage life for Hannah: She is not nervous even for one second about getting on stage. Enjoy this video of her & the other kids singing at church. The absolute best moment is the very, very end of the video when the song is ending & Hannah stretches out her arms as if she has just sang a solo & the rest of the choir was just there as back-up for her.

Notice her new haircut (thanks, Allie!!). Isn't Hannah a look-a-like for Lucy in Narnia? Well, maybe it is just me thinking she is so stinking' adorable? She is a delightful, wonderful little girl. The other morning I was waking her up for pre-school (feeling bad to be waking her up b/c we had stayed up late) she was very tired getting out of bed but as soon as she saw herself in the mirror she started to do a dance & sing a song from Annie. Literally, the girl doesn't stop dancing & singing. Even when we went skiing this winter, she was singing as we skied down the mountain. That is not a joke. I love it & thank God every day for the wonderful gift of being her mom!

Stage life for me: I guess there is no such thing as "death by public speaking" .. I made it at the women's retreat & actually enjoyed speaking. I feel so relieved that it is over. I know I got way too nervous thinking about it all. About 3 hours before I spoke, I felt complete peace about it all ... I know b/c so many were praying (thank you, friends!!!).

Our Pastor's wife spoke on Saturday morning at the retreat, from her real life experiences of adopting: 4 out of 6 of kids. 2 internationally, 2 from the LA foser care system. I was really challenged about the needs of kids in our local foster care system. 1,500 kids in Pomona District & 35,000 in the County of Los Angeles. I am moved to do SOMETHING about this mess ... not sure what but I know I can do something! We have room for an extra plate at the table. We have bedrooms. We have love. We have stability. We have structure. We have a God that doesn't give up on us. I talked with our social worker this week as we were updating our home study for Lily (since the wait has been so long, the home study will expire before we go to China - go figure!). She said we can't register right now to do foster care through the County b/c we are registered to adopt with a different agency. Seems you can't be registered with 2 separate agencies at the same time.