2 years later still waiting patiently (most of the time)

Next month is the 2 year anniversary of my trip to the Philippines. It was immediately after that trip that we began our adoption process. Today I went to a get-together with 3 of the girls who went on that trip. They are graduating from college and now moving on with their lives. I am so excited for them, but it reminded me how much time has passed while we have been waiting. On Friday I mailed off our I-800a form to USCIS (immigration). It is our first extension since we applied for approval almost 18 months ago. After the initial 18 months, you are allowed to apply for one free extension. If something does not happen soon, we will have to pay the fees again and get a new set of fingerprints done. (Just in case we have committed any felonies since our last fingerprinting.) :)

We have always said that we trust that God will send us the right child at the right time. I still believe this although sometimes now it seems more like a faraway dream than an actual reality. One day recently my son Sam came home from his first grade class with a little toy pony with a crown. I asked him why he picked that toy, and he said, "I picked it for my sister." And yes, I had to hold back the tears. He brought it home and put it on the dresser in "her" room.

So for now, I will continue to TRY to wait patiently even when it feels like everything in our lives is on hold. Because I know that things are really not on hold. We continue to love and laugh together. Sam is now almost finished with another year at school and at least a few inches taller than when we started this process. But someday (hopefully soon) we will bring his sister home to see her special pony on her dresser.