what the title of this blog means

So, why a starfish? 

While browsing through Shannon's blog, I came upon Charlie's story. It was actually Leah's story I read first that had a link to his. 

                                             Which is a key point in this,
                                                        there are so many.

All so precious.

              So why him?

We had just come out of a 6 month term of unemployment, moved 3000 miles across the country, knew (pretty much) no one in our new area. It is Not like this was ideal timing...from my vantage point ( a pretty weak point of view I'm discovering). I'm not sure exactly what I was thinking as I passed my phone over to Jeff. I didn't say anything to him, but he's used to me finding interesting cats reads or funny cats pictures and sharing them with him. You all should thank him, actually. If not for him, I'd be spamming your world 24/7. The cats things I find!! 

He read. He scrolled. He read more. I was watching tv, or playing on the iPad, or cramming my head with some other digital brain feed. Until he broke in.

"I think we should get him...'

if I said anything, it wasn't memorable. but I do remember crying as he said,

'...it's like that story of the starfish.'

Some of you have heard the story. Those of you who have not, this is the version I like the best. It is an adaptation of a short story and has many variations. But the meaning is always the same.

Pre-Approval!!

Oh, how happy it makes me to be able to write this post!

You see, I started this blog on Feb 1st (how is it now almost April 1st?!)... but then found out that until we had pre-approval, we couldn't use his name or post photos of him or link to anything that might identify him...so I edited the post, removing his name and links. However, the internet being what it is and as clever as some of you are, well, I knew it was bound to get out and it just wasn't worth jeopardizing the adoption.

BUT! all that doesn't matter now!!! Yes, we still have quite the journey ahead of us before he is home, but, for today, we rejoice in PRE-APPROVAL!!!

And! The posts shall commence!

...oh...were you wanting more...?



                                                     ...a photo?


                                                                                ...ohhhhhh! well,

I suppose because you asked...

(and not because I have been dying to share our son's picture with all of you for almost 2 months!!!!)

This is Charlie :)

Photo is ruthlessly stolen from my friend Shannon's blog. Yes, clicking on her name there will take you to it, and I very much encourage you to click with caution...it could change your life. It is an eye opening blog about life in the orphanage. She writes with passion about the children. God is using her to build families and I am so grateful to her. More to come about that ;)

We're expecting...

...some of you to call us crazy.
...some of you to shake your heads.
...some of you to disagree.

But we're also expecting you
                                 
                               ( those of you who know us,) to not be surprised.

                                                                          to be as anxious as we are to meet him.

                                                                          to share in our joy.


(If we haven't met yet, "Hello!")

                 I know, some of you know the boy we are adopting. I admit, I'm envious. And grateful. I want to call you each up and talk about him. I want to know details of what games you played ( did he win? is he a good sport whether he did or not? did he challenge you to a rematch?) what pictures you drew (I hear he is an artist, oh I can't wait to show him our art room!) where you walked (what caught his eye? did you skip? is he too cool for that? have I missed the skipping years?) If I meet you before I meet him, forgive me for crying as I hug you...but just knowing that you have already hugged him will probably be a bit emotional.

Those of you who shared in our journey to Evangeline 6 1/2 years ago (it's ok, I'll wait while you recover from the shock that it's been that long) ~ welcome back! :) Friends who have always known us as a family of 6, well, you may have wondered why our youngest looks Asian...she is ;)

That journey took over 2 years from filing to travel. This time, it will be faster. Three primary reasons:                                              

      ~  he is a waiting child, meaning we are filing to specifically adopt him
       ~ secondly, he is 12. At 14, he is no longer eligible to be adopted.
       ~  And the third reason is I REALLY REALLY WANT HIM HERE NOW.
                    ( alright, so #3 probably isn't a factor in the real process, but it sure is real in my head!)

So, there it is. The big announcement:  we are adopting a boy, 12, from China!!!

But wait! There's more!!

The reason I came out of bloggy hibernation...

                                                                    ...you see, this isn't something we planned. ( I know, I know, it's not like an unexpected pregnancy or something you can't stop, right?! Wrong!!! this is Exactly like that! it's coming! it's happening! he is ours. --there is a line in Peter Pan (the recent live action version, not cartoon) where one of the lost boys reunites with his mother and when he asks her how she knows that she is his mother, she replies " I feel it in my bones." This is that.)
                  God's plan. It throws us for a loop, sometimes. In fact, we've been doing loop de loops here for the past 9 months. For those who don't know, Jeff lost his job in May, and was unable to find another sustainable job until November, when he accepted his current position and we moved from Southern California to Pennsylvania. I'm not going to pretend that there were not moments of worry, but 6 months is a very long time to practice not worrying, and I got better at it. You see, we were in training. I am going to keep this blog going and let you all in on more of the events leading up to this decision, as well as our progress as we bring him home, but for now, I'm going to lay out to you the nitty gritty reality...

we need help.

That is So hard to admit. But that's exactly what God designed us to do. Help and be helped. (I prefer helping...this side is hard to be on...)  primarily, We need you to pray. For our boy. For me. For Jeff. For Shell. For Gab. For Ian. For Evie. For grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins. Pray. As we become his family, as he becomes part of ours. As our stories weave. Pray for peace in those moments when the enemy attacks with lies of fear. There are a couple of areas that we don't meet the exact criteria for the adoption, but we know God can do all things, and He will allow the exceptions. Pray for clarity in practical decisions about travel. (it is our desire to take the whole family, so we can all meet him in his comfort zone, and can all know where he came from and share in as much as we can...but that leads directly to...) Pray for finances. Even with the job loss, to this point, we have been fine. But this was not in the budget ;) It seems impossible to imagine 6 of us traveling (7 on the return trip!) to China, but we know it is Not! Pray for housing. We lease a beautiful, Victorian, turn of the century house, that we had hoped to buy, but with this new addition, that does not seem likely now. Again, not impossible, but I certainly can't see how from where I'm standing (so glad God's vantage point is better!). Pray. and pray and pray.
                            oh, we will need more help. that is assured. and I will ask again, I'm getting better at it ;)

and for those of you wondering...I have not posted a photo here yet due to the fact that we do not have preapproval yet. (in fact, I just modified this post, removing his name, because we are technically not supposed to use it until pa (preapproval). but that will be soon, I hope! so...stay tuned!!!