Three Years Ago

Martin Luther King Jr Day of 2006 was a big day in our home.

I have very good memory of that day. Chuck and I were both off from work that day. I remember that I thoroughly cleaned the house that day because we had company coming over that night. I spilled a big jug of cooking oil and it made a huge mess. I had a dentist appointment late in the afternoon and I grocery shopped for ingredients for chili.

Our company that evening was a guy who was being interviewed at our church (for the position that Chuck eventually took) and his wife. When our church is thinking about hiring someone they have as many people from our church as possible meet with the couple and get to know them. They were awesome and we had a ton of fun hanging out with them and getting to know them. We totally wanted him to be hired. They left our house late. After cleaning up a little I went to check my email. That's when we first learned about Noah and Samuel. My heart beats faster now as I think about my excitement as I read the email. I knew without a doubt that they were our sons. However, we wanted God to confirm it. He did just that over the next three days and on January 19, 2006 we committed to adopt our sons. My eyes just flood with tears now as I think back on it. The boys were only 10 weeks old. We had started the process to adopt from Haiti right around the time they were born in November of 2005.

I never imagined we would wait so very long to bring them home. So much has changed in these three years. Chuck changed careers and I left working outside the home. We moved. We started a church. We had a baby. Noah and Samuel finally came home. And God has faithfully and lovingly guided us along the way. I am humbled by His love and grace. I am humbled that He chose us to parent these two little boys (and Tristan, too!).

I'm not quite sure what to call today (referral day, committment day?), but it is definitely a day worth celebrating and thanking God for.

And I must thank all of you who have been on this journey with us. Some of you have been along for the entire ride and we are so thankful for your faithfulness to pray our family through these last three years. It's the prayers of all of you that kept us going and keep us going. Thank you!