There are so many different facets of adoption. There’s of course the expense, how are you going to raise it, why China when it’s so expensive. There’s the travel, so far away, leaving behind children, getting used to time change and flying so far. There’s the unknowns of the child, what is her health really like, is it worse is it better than they said, are there things they missed? And then there is the one that really mattered the most to me-how will your children respond and act, now and when she comes home? My girls (I say girls because though I have a boy he is really too young to understand what is going on), have gotten to see first-hand adoption taking place. I said before I have friends who have adopted, so they have seen a few families they know going from having 1 or more children, to have another baby or child being added, that was not biologically theirs before. So the whole idea behind adoption I think they get, this child is coming into our home and is here for good. From the moment that we started talking about looking into adoption they were hooked, asking us, is this her or him every time they saw me looking at ANY child on the computer. My second daughter Emma, was very and is VERY interested even now looking at any child she sees that looks Asian and asks if she has a mommy. And when we decided on Nina they were crazy excited. They started thinking of names, and deciding where she was going to sleep and where she would sit at the dinner table. After our first garage sale the girls were eager to save EVERYTHING they have and put it in the Nina money jar! A little background on the girls-like most children EVERY penny they get they want to spend, especially my sweet Emma. But her little heart is changing and she has looked in every corner of the house-closets, beds, under beds, EVERYWHERE, to find money to give to help bring her sweet sister home! Even when she does her chores, she puts the money right in her sisters save money box. And when we go to the store Emma explains to her sisters that we cannot ask to buy anything extra because we need to save all of our extra money to bring her sister home. This gives me such great hope in teaching my children that there are better things to spend our money on than ourselves. (Such a hard lesson to teach children, in my opinion, in a world of me, me, me.)
SISTER! Yes and they have called Nina sister from the time they found out we were working to bring her home. There was no doubt in their child like faith hearts that this was their sister and mom and dad would find a way to bring her home. It cracks me up to watch how if they see a toy they may have out grown that they now have to decide, do we sell it to get money for Nina or do we save it for Nina because she might like it? A thought they came up with totally on their own! They blow me away!
Now don’t get me wrong. I know there will be PLENTY of challenges we will face when we bring Nina home. There will still be and always be sibling spats. Nina will get attention like a new baby would get attention. But I am so excited and happy to see the love that is growing in my children’s eyes for this child who once had no one and now has a family to call her own!
UPDATE:
I did get an email from my agency from Nina’s orphanage. Unfortunately nothing about her health. But they did tell us she likes to sing but can’t really sing words yet, she just gets loud…HAHAHA she will fit right in!!! How awesome is that! They said she is shy with strangers but will grow very close to anyone who teaches her songs! Now is that a Noll or WHAT!!! The pictures I’m sharing with you are ones with the doll and picture album we sent to her-one of the pictures is of her looking at a picture of her baby brother. It just totally and completely melts my heart!!!
Picture number 1 and 5 she is holding the doggie and picture album of our family that we sent to her. And the one that makes my heart melt the most is picture number 3 where her nanny is showing her the pictures and she is looking at Levi. <3 <3!!! Best Christmas present EVER!!!
Thank you all who contributed to the 31 party! And if you would like to buy a t-shirt, the link is on the side of this page.
Have a great week everyone and a VERY Merry Christmas…remember what this season is about…
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