Meeting Princess M!

Today is the day! I can't believe it! In just a few short hours I will get to give that sweet girl a big bear hug!

John keeps asking me if I am nervous. Not. At. All! How awesome is that? What a faithful God we serve! You know from my original posts that this whole journey was me sitting back on my hind legs like a mule trying to be led! But when I finally started walking with God, He replaced every fear and doubt I had with excitement and love! Only He can do that!

God has also planted little ideas in my head as the weeks have passed. Can you believe it has only been weeks since we started this?! Another God thing! We bought Princess M a necklace that is a heart and says, "I Chose You". It was important to me that I leave something tangible with her when we left her after the visit to remind her that she is coming to our family and that we are thinking about her constantly as we wait for her to come permanently! God also reminded me of a book I have. Actually this is why I started calling her Princess M on the public forums where I can't use her real name. I bought a book a couple of years ago called "His Princess: Love Letters from Your King". It is a book of scripture based "letters" that God might write to us as His precious daughters. I want her to read how precious she is! I want her to be able to hear that until I am with her again to tell her! She is a Christian! How cool is that? She already has a passion for God and His ways. But from what we have been told it is a very legalistic "God will get you" view of God. This is our first step in teaching her of her loving Heavenly Father that is NOTHING like her earthly fathers who have rejected her.

The final thing we have done is what I am most excited about! Totally a God planted idea as I would never have come up with this on my own! We bought a suitcase. She will use the suitcase to come visit us next week for Thanksgiving, then to move her stuff here permanently when we get the ok! THEN....we are going to have a demolishing party and destroy that sucker!!! She will not have a need for a suitcase anymore because there will be no more moving from this family! I can't wait for that party!!!!

We will meet her about 4:00 today. Less than 12 hours! We have amazing friends and family who are keeping our children while we go on this journey today. When you can farm out 6 kids, you know you have amazing support in your life and people who are walking with you!!! THANK YOU!!!!

I have had so many thoughts as I have played out that first meeting. Meeting a 15 year old child is definitely different than meeting your newborn or 3 year old child! I want to be cool and hip! :) I don't want her to immediately think, "Holy, Cow! What am I getting into?!" They have told me she is into fashion....great! What do I wear?! Especially since the pregnancy hips have set in and my pants are already not fitting!

How do we introduce ourselves? Seems a little awkward to say, "Hello! I am your mother and this is your daddy!" I think we will just introduce ourselves as John and HollyAnn and tell her she can call us John and HollyAnn, Mom and Dad, Mother and Daddy, whatever she feels comfortable calling us....but assure her I will be calling her daughter!

What will we do for the time we have her? Watch a movie??? Well, that doesn't allow time to get to know each other. We have to go shopping at least a little for something for her to wear for our family picture next weekend. Maybe some games....we will have the hotel room for tonight and tomorrow morning. Lubbock has nice parks, so if the weather is nice, we could go to the park. We will just have to play it by ear..all I know is I want to soak in everything about her in the time I am with her! I am already mourning the 15 years I haven't had her! But through all the conversations I have had with the people in her life right now, the hand of God in her life, preparing her to be a part of our specific family, is so evident! And for that I am eternally grateful!

Please pray for her as she prepares to meet us. Pray that she can do her best to let us in after all she has been through. Pray for us that we have the right words and actions that speak love and security to her! Also, please pray that the placement director approves her placement with us as a foster to adopt placement. This has changed after she expressed a desire last week to stay with us after Thanksgiving and not go back. There have been some other developments with her foster home, and everyone feels that would be best. She was originally going to be placed with us as an adoptive placement, but that means all the adoption paperwork has to be completed...which hasn't even been started, I don't think! This way, she will be with us while the paperwork is being done. A MUCH better plan in this momma's eyes! If not, we know God is in control and she will be here when He is ready for her to be! Total peace! Amazing peace! I've never had this sort of peace with any of our other adoptions. Maybe I've actually matured a bit over these years! (she says with a wink!) One thing I do know is that God is teaching me to trust again! I can't say I am totally there, but I am well on my way!

I'll let you know how it goes! Before I leave, let me just say, if you have ever considered adopting through the state, don't consider it anymore, DO IT! There are a few kids short of 6,000 in Texas who are ready for adoption right now! That is just Texas! That does not include the other 49 states! These kids need us....these kids need God! Come on Body of Christ! We must take action! As someone who struggled through saying yes, I can assure you, He will calm all your fears and replace them with joy unspeakable....IF you will let Him!

Here we go! Let the journey begin.....