Updates and Paperwork

Jynger is back and we have wonderful pictures. She has video which she let me look at and all I can say is Kennedy is gorgeous and precious and I want to go get her right now! She loves books and Jynger said she is on target and very content.
The big news now is the paperwork is leaving for Vietnam today! Now for the hard part, waiting to hear those three special words, "You can travel!"

Thankful

Do you ever have days where you are just so thankful that it is almost overwhelming? You know the feeling. You would love to find every person that has ever helped you at any point in your life and say "Thank you." I think about how God has blessed me and my family in ways that you can't explain you just know without a doubt you are blessed.
Today I had an anxious moment about how in the world we are going to come up with the rest of the money we need for this adoption. There I go again taking control away from God. Have you ever noticed how when you take matters into your own hands things don't work out like you would want them to, but let God have control and everything works out just right.
Anyway I received a phone call that reminded me to give God back the control and I was fine after that.
Kennedy Grace Bayer, what an unexpected blessing. I have to remember God knew all along she was our child and He will provide everything we need to get her home.

Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. Hebrews 11:1

The waiting game

This is our third adoption and you would think by now I would be use to the wait. Reality is it never gets easier. You have a child that you want to bring home, you hurry up with all the paper work and then you wait. I have to keep reminding myself that in Gods perfect time she will come home. In the mean time we stay busy getting things ready for the arrival of our precious Kennedy.
Friends from our church are having a baby shower for us, that is always fun. A friend has given me some cute clothes so my daughters and I "oooh and aaah " over those. I have been doing the baby registering. I have bought a few things not many. Did I mention I hate waiting?
The first families are in Vietnam receiving their children. We wait to read updates on their blogs so we can for a moment live vicariously through them.
My youngest daughter does not understand why we have to wait so long. She wants "babygirl" home now! So do I sweet heart, so do I.

How it Began

I decided to start a blog on our journey to our daughter Kennedy Grace in Vietnam, so family and friend alike could stay updated. It has happened so fast, yet it's been a long journey. Make sense? Let me explain.
My name is Elaine and I am married to Mike the greatest husband, father, son, friend ever! Mike adopted Michael 29 my son from my first marriage, we had Cody 20 and Dustin 17. Being the oldest of five girls I loved being mom to three boys. I became a Christian in 1991 along with my oldest son. My dear husband had been wanting to adopt a daughter and it wasn't until I became a Christian that I also felt this was Gods plan for our lives. Mike went to L.A. to receive our beautiful 3 month old Korean angel Jordan the day before Fathers Day 1995. Five years later Mike went to Korea to bring home our daughter Cameron another beautiful Korean angel who was 14 months old. I was on cloud nine! In 2001 God spoke to my heart about adoption. All I knew for sure was that He was going to put me to work! I had found my passion.
A couple of years ago I felt God had laid adoption on my heart again. I wanted to make sure it wasn't the "the mommy ache" and I was trying to pray it away!
For my husband it was a flat NO! By this time we had two precious grandchildren.
No matter how hard I prayed that nudge in my heart would not go away.
In February of this year Mike surprised me by saying he was ready to take the step of faith and adopt again. We started the process for China but I could not get going on the paperwork. On April 3rd, I emailed the Director of Vietnam program at the agency I work at and asked her if they had any girls available over the age of one. She said yes. She had a referall in mind. So on April 4th our anniversary I surprised my husband with a picture of our daughter 2 years old from Vietnam. He was shocked but very happy! So here I am getting ready to be a mom again!
I often wonder what I ever did in my life to deserve to be so blessed? I just can not see how life can get any better than this.
If all goes well I will be traveling with my wonderul mother in law sometime later this year to receive our beautiful angel, while dad holds down the fort at home. With one in college, one starting his senior year, one starting middle school and one in second grade we really don't think its fair to lay that on someone not use to our crazy life. To us its normal to others .....not so much!
What amazes me the most about all of our adoptions is the fact that we never had the money to adopt! Who has $20,000 laying around? But when you step out in faith God will take care of you. Every single time we have ever had to write a check for any of our adoptions the money has been there. Most of the time we couldn't tell you where it came from, but it was there. So as we step out in faith once more we are trusting God to provide. I say this because the saddest thing is to know a family would love to adopt but the money part scares them. Please if you read this and that is the case, take that step of faith and watch the miracles begin.