The Orphans Cry

I found this wonderful song on our adoption agency's website.

The Orphans Cry
By Jeff Fannin, Morehead KY


All around the world tears are falling. Like raindrops that are stored in children's eyes. Living in a world that doesn't want them. Feeling all alone the orphan cries. Lying down to sleep, to ignore the hunger. Thankful that another days passed by. They dread to see the morning, should it even come. No hope for tomorrow the orphan cries...Chorus...As an orphan cries will we choose to listen; or close our ears and hearts and turn away. How can we ignore them any longer. And let them live without hope one more day. We know that we can't change all the world. But can't we change just one or even try? While we linger in our ease for an answer, another orphan's gone that used to cry...We find ourselves faced with a decision. One that truthfully takes us by surprise. What can we even do to make a difference. But open up our hearts, our homes, our lives. By giving we receive more that we've given. And that which we receive no one can buy. As we look into their eyes we see the blessing. To know there's one less orphan now to cry...I never imagined stading here. With this thought upon my mind. I never knew my eyes were closed. I never knew that I was so blind. But now my eyes and heart are open. And I see more than with just my eyes. I'm reaching out with all God's given me, cause I can hear the orphan's cry.
Sniff,Sniff,Sniff.....

Getting a tad anxious...

Okay, today I am TIRED of waiting! Probably because I kept my 8 month old nephew last night (the cute one in the recent photo!). It triggered the "I want my baby" button in me! I might have even called poor Nate "Taryn" last night! Anyway, I know others in our travel group have been feeling this way for a while now, but it is defiantly getting harder to wait...And we still have at least 6 more months (if everything goes as it has been looking like it will!)! I have even been buying Asian dolls for her room! Every time I go on line to look at them I get all "maternal" about it! It is funny how you can love a child you are not carrying inside of you as much as you do the biological ones! I feel bonded with her already, and I know Steve does! Every time I ask him about it he expresses concern about not knowing if she is born yet, or what is happening to her, etc... It has defiantly been a "different" experience compared to our two boys! We are just ready for her! The whole family is I believe! I just had to "blog" about it because I know so many of you feel the SAME way! Talk to yah next time!

It's about time!

Okay, Okay... When I started this I envisioned myself being a tad more on top of the blogging than I am! It has been a while! But, the nature of the adoption "wait" is just that... A very long...Wait! That is all we are doing! I don't know about the others that are on this adoption journey with me, but it is getting increasingly harder to answer the same question over and over again! That is..."Have you heard anything about your little girl yet?" The answer is always the same..."No, we are just waiting!"
And, that is what we are prepared to do! However long it takes we are going to wait! It makes it a lot easier when our days are filled with the daily ins and outs of taking care of the rest of our family! Our boy's are very distracting by just being themselves! I have been buying stuff for her bedroom, that helps to pass the time a little. It will be fun to finally put it all together!
I do have to say that I have had a few "annoying" comments lately. I have heard them before, and we have even had to take a preparation course on dealing with comments. But, for some reason, this particular one bothers me the most..."So, you are doing this to get your little girl..." I could scream when I hear this one! As if we don't love our sweet little boys enough, that we have to add our "long awaited" girl to be "complete". WHATEVER!!!!! I actually had a very (rude) family member argue with me recently over this issue! They were convinced (with all of their knowledge of us...) that we were doing this to get a girl! We don't ever want our boys to think they were not good enough, or for Taryn to think she is this "token" girl! As we stated in the opening blog, we are doing this to help a child. To give a child a family, home and love. We would have 5 boys if we thought we would not go insane, or 5 girls for that matter. Taryn is simply a fulfillment of a plan we had before we were even married for our family. IT IS THAT SIMPLE!
Sooooo, now that I have stood on my soap box about this issue, I hope everyone is doing well right now! Keep praying for her, she could be born by now! The date is still way up in the air! We are thinking December or February! I will try to be more faithful about posting information as well as some random pictures every once in a while! God bless!

Watch this Video

Answered Prayers

God is so Awesome! I can not even believe what has just happened. For a year and a half we have prayed for a better job for Steve-a year and a half! And, we were willing to pray longer! I am proud to announce to everyone that prayed and had to listen to all of my "sob stories" about Steve's job-HE GOT THE JOB AT TRAIN! YEAH, YEAH, YEAH! AND, I am not finished...The whole time we have been praying, I have been asking for what, by our standards, would be a significantly better job. It was a stretch because he is one of the top Engineers at the horrible company he has been working for. Well...They offered him more insurance and significantly (he won't let me say anything else, and would probably not like me saying even that) more money! Those of you who know our situation with the adoption, hopefully realize what a HUGE answer to prayer this is for us! I am so very amazed right now at the 100% (not just 50%) answer to our prayer...TOO COOL... I mean I am blown away excited right now! I don't know how else to describe it! And, it couldn't have happened to a greater guy! Thank you, Thank you, Thank you for your prayers...They worked!

Glass half -full, NOT half -empty!

After reading all of the emails from our potential travel mates...I feel a little differently! Of course, everyone else was VERY excited and did not look at the half-empty glass as I tend to do (that is a nice way of saying I can be negative. Those who know me are laughing right now!). Anyway, after having the entire day to dwell on it, I realize there is absolutely NOTHING wrong with going next year! The end result will be the same either way...We will have our third child home, and safe with us! So, that being said, I will "sign off" and try my best to view everything in a more "positive" light! Of course, the grandparents are hearing none of it and insisting she will be here in November or December! Denial? Only time will tell...Until then, we wait!

The "mysterious" Log in Date has arrived!

Poor Taryn...This is what she has to look forward too!

Okay, maybe I was in total denial, I don't know, but now it looks as if we will be traveling to China in January or February 2007! Actually, it will probably be February 07, because we can't travel during the Chinese New Year, which I think is almost the entire month of January. This fact has "overshadowed" the joy of having our LID at the moment! I really believed we would be going to get Taryn in December! That was when I was just "guessing" at our LID-I guessed wrong! I was thinking the beginning of February (or hoping). The later day in February gave us another month-January or February OF NEXT YEAR!!!! This is upsetting for 2 reasons: 1. Our precious daughter will be waiting for us longer (and vise-versa), and I can barely stand the thought of her in the orphanage. 2. We do not get the tax credit money back until 2008's taxes! Believe me, that is a considerable amount towards her adoption-later than planned.
So, our date is February 23, 2005... There's not much else to say! Except, now when people ask me "when" it will happen I will have a more definite time frame! We should get our referral in December, so that will be a fun Christmas present!
Now, now I am starting to understand the "dreaded" wait I have heard other adoptive parents talk about! It somehow seems so much longer when you look at next year!
Okay, I am done "venting", we are that much closer to bringing her home!

Aprils list!

It is April and still no log in date for us. However, we have been assured by our agency that we have one by now it just hasn't been sent in as of yet. We are hoping our date is in early February as our Dossier papers were sent in mid-January. A log in date (LID) is important to us because that will be the "official" date our waiting period starts. That is the date we are "logged in " with The People's Republic of China and begin to be "considered" as parent's for one of their waiting baby girls. So far, it seems most people are still waiting 10 months for their referral (the picture of their chosen child) and then another month to travel and pick up their child. So, if nothing changes (no SARS or bird flu epidemic!!!) it will hopefully be November or December-we can only wait and see!
We do however have a "list" of people we will probably travel with! That is cool because we can all start to get to know each other before we spend 14 days together in China! I guess I was naive to think most of the people would be from around here because our agency, A Helping Hand, is in Lexington (only 30 short minutes away!). But, it turns out, there is a large variety of States represented in the group. That will be fun to get to know others from everywhere! This group is also significant in the fact that all of our daughters (and sons) will be given to us together, at the same time. We hope Taryn will have some life-long friends in this group!
Well, that is the only "update" we have for everyone. Just continue to keep us in your prayers. Most importantly pray for Taryn (and the other waiting children), we just want her to be "safe" and healthy until we can be with her...

Our story...

There is an ancient Chinese belief that says:

"An Invisible red thread connects those who are destined to meet regardless of time, place, or circumstance. The thread may stretch or tangle, but will never break..."

This is so appropriate for our period of "waiting" to bring our daughter home.
We started the adoption process in September of 2005 with A Helping Hand Adoption Agency here in Kentucky. However, the idea of adoption started long before this time. It first began as a concept before we were married. We knew we wanted to have biological children, but also thought it would be awesome to help children without families. The concept grew even stronger after the birth of our second son in 2002. It became a real possibility to us in 2004, but we just didn't know how we were going to pay for it! As some of you know, when God lays a task on your heart it is VERY hard to ignore! But, we DID try to ignore it for a good long while! Finally, we KNEW it was time to began the process. We took a HUGE leap of faith doing this, because, of course, the money is not all there! However, we know beyond a shadow of a doubt that we should do this. We are more certain of this than anything else we have done in our lives.
A lot of people have questioned the choice of "China"... "Why China..." "Do you just want a girl..." "Why not adopt here in the US, (a.k.a. 'one of our own')"
Our answer is simple...We just want to help kids without families! We don't care where they are from! We belief that ANY child in an orphanage situation, regardless of "where" the orphanage is, will ALWAYS need a home, a family, love. There is a "need" everywhere, race was not an issue, a child with no family was. We belief, (and this is TOTALLY a personal belief) that we, as Christians, are called to do this. Be it just financial support, mission support, adopting, whatever-The Lord wants us to take care of widows and orphans (and we like to add, if we could add, the homeless, the hurting, the poor, etc...).
So, here we are! We posted this blog for all of our friends and families to follow us on our personal journey to give Taryn Joy a home. So you all could be a part of what we are doing. We also wanted our sons to be able to follow us while we were in China, so they would know exactly where we are and we could communicate to them!
Thank you to everyone for there prayers, without them this would be SO much harder! Steve and Rebecca

Please join us!

Family photos...

Steve & I

"Icing the cake" - Wesley, Luke, Flyn (cousins) & Garrett



My boys, Wesley & Garrett