Good Painful Weird Day:)

Today was kind of a weird day...TWO friends of mine left for China to get their daughters...both are bittersweet for different reasons...the first, the Sinclair family, left today to get their sweet daughter, Collins, who is around 2 1/2...we are both with the same agency and met not too long ago because we have essentially had the exact same timeline the entire time (well, up until I screwed up the I800 stuff and we got behind them)...we just KNEW that we were going to travel together and things just didn't work out...God knows why, we sure don't, but we trust that the reason is a good one...we have talked multiple times a week since we met and just have had a blast sharing what has been going on with one another...she has helped keep the humor in it all for me and it has really been nice to have someone to understand and to encourage when we really needed it....that is probably the reason God let us be friends:)...I can't wait to follow along and see it all play out for them. I could not be happier, they are a wonderful family and I am pretty sure we will stay in touch when all of this is said and done...

then, there is the Gieser family....back in the very beginning, after I got Alice's referral and could find NO information about her orphanage, and couldn't find one solitary soul that had EVER even heard of it...I got a letter from her nannies that gave me the names and pictures of her 3 best little friends in the orphanage. I posted the names of the other 3 children (on a site called China Adopt Talk) and asked if anyone was in process of adopting them, to please message me, that I had some pictures...literally, in a few hours, I had two families contact me, saying that they were adopting the 2 girls and once we verified that it was true, we shared the pictures and found two families out there that had actually heard of this orphanage and it was such a relief...the Gieser's are adopting Alice's friend, Maran, and after that day we have kept in touch and I believe that we always will. They left today as well, and it was emotional for me on many levels....I am not sad that they are there and we are not, although I do want Alice badly, it is not that at all...it is emotional because Ann and David Gieser are the first people I have EVER known personally, that may actually be able to see and touch my Alice and the thoughts of that, even right now, brings such crazy strong emotion...oh, that they could just hug her and touch her and tell her that her mommy and daddy are coming soon and love her sooo much....it is just a weird--but a good, painful weird thing, I am telling you.

I love these two women and I praise the Lord for each of them...they have been such an important part of our story and they will forever be in it and that is pretty neat....I am praying for them and ask that you pray for them too...for rest, for peace and an easy transition to a new piece of their lives...it is such a beautiful thing and I thank God I have gotten to know these women and have been able to be a part of their journeys as well....I TRUST THE LORD WITH ALL MY HEART and that is the only reason I am at peace tonight...He is so good to me and proves faithful time and time again...I will give him all of the glory. period. He is the reason we are where we are in all of this...praise the Lord....