Friday, February 4, 2011

23 months and then some


Oh, my goodness, 23 months.  As in, one month from today is two years.  I’m actually pretty amazed, and there is so much to say this month.

First, let me thank all of you who sent such lovely notes after we lost our sweet Oreo – every word meant so much to Gregg and me.  We still miss him daily and we will always love him very much, but we are so grateful for all of the kindness we have been shown.

Second, I also really need to thank everyone who was praying for Gregg throughout December and January.  He received some terrific news at the end of January, and was able to start a new job January 31.  We are both so grateful for his new opportunity, and it really provides the extra stability we had hoped to have prior to the adoption going through.  Truly, God knows what He’s doing and does have a time and a place for everything.  Sometimes I need to just learn to sit back, shut up, and stop rushing Him.

Aside from the fact that we’re marking 23 months this February, there are lots of other things we will be taking note of this month.  Yesterday, February 3, would have been my grandfather’s birthday.  I mention this because he and I were very close, and I keep telling my grandmother that I believe that he’s got his hand firmly in this adoption.  “Grandma,” I keep saying to her, “You know that this is taking such a long time because Grandpa’s up there waiting for a little boy named Larry, or “LJ” for us – just so we know he had something to do with it.”  She has no doubt I’m right about this. 

In news of other family birthdays, my mother will be celebrating her birthday on the 19th of this month.  (Obviously this is significant because she’s my mother and I love her to pieces.  Happy early birthday, Mom!!!)  This year on her birthday, however, we just found out that our church will be having a visit from the society of St. Gianna Beretta Molla, whom our family has basically taken to be the patroness of our adoption.  We visited her shrine in December and venerated a pair of her gloves, which was very moving.  A traveling memorial will be at our church on Mom’s birthday, so we will be able to do this again.  We are so thrilled that we will be able to have this experience with the patron saint of mothers on my mother’s birthday.

I will add that there is one other thing that makes the beginning of February noteworthy to us.  In the second week of February 2003 – eight years ago – Gregg and I found out through a complete fluke that it was not in the cards for us to have a biological child.  That same night, we decided that biology was of no consequence to us, we would bring our child home through adoption.  We tried for a long time to adopt from Vietnam, but it never worked out – clearly for the reason that our child was not there.  We finally clued in and realized our child was in the Philippines at the end of February 2008 – so we spent our first year assembling the dossier and getting ICAB preapproval.  Just now, thinking it could go another year from that, I kind of got a tiny headache.  God’s timing.  God’s timing.  God’s timing.   Sit back, shut up, and stop rushing Him.  And, hey, February is a short month.

One last thing – a super huge congratulations to a dear bloggy friend, Agnes, who is off to meet her sweet baby girl at long last.  Many blessings to you and your new, beautiful family!

6 comments:

  1. I love your faith! We all have to be reminded that it's in God's timing. I guess it just part of being human. Hang in there!

    Blessings!
    Deborah

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  2. Just think - 2 weeks after my birthday will be your 2 year mark! I am so looking forward to this day of hope with my family, compared to the sorrow of 2 years ago! We all wondered if we would survive and just look, everything is moving in the right direction - at God's pace. Like you said, this is a short month and I believe it will fly by:) Love you both, Mom.

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  3. Your little one is in the Philippines and he or she is just about ready to make themselves know I hope!!! I pray for you everyday that you will soon be matched. Like you said it's all about God's timing and he is holding out for the perfect child for you guys just like he did for us with Rafael. Hang in there!!!

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  4. I'm praying February is a great month for you. Congratulations to your husband on his new job, that's great news. God is just getting everything lined up for this precious little one to come home. Hope it's soon....for both of us!!

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  5. Jen,
    Your faith is beautiful! And you've got some good things going during what can be a very hard month of winter and the doldrums. Continue to see the beauty in your days...hang tight!

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  6. Thanks Jen! At this moment, I'm watching her beautiful sleeping face and it's just breath taking. Soon, you will be where I'm at.

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