Journey to Gracie Joy Part I

I'm going to start sharing how we found our Gracie Joy. This is from a journal I kept throughout this journey. I just knew it was going to be a story worth sharing! It's so much that I'm going to share it in a few different posts.

Summer 2010 – Our church gives a fortune cookie to each woman to promote the “Live the Dream” women’s conference. The fortune inside the cookie says, “LTD 2010…because there are dreams in your heart you do not know of”. I laughed on the way home and said, “I’m not going to that…I might find out we’re supposed to adopt again!!” hmmm….

10/26 - read a post on my friend Stacy’s blog about adopting an older child. (We traveled with Stacy and her family when we got Wesleigh) Her post talked about the fate of children who age out of the system in China. It shared the plan for their family to go back to China. I shared the post with Richard and teared up while we talked about the fact that God had more in store for us. We just really didn’t know if it was even China and didn’t really think that “now” was the time. We also laughed that they were already going back.

10/27 – Diana calls and asks if I would want to help her with Pearl River . I agreed to make the announcements for the children. No big deal…started working on them and didn’t think much of it, but happy to help.

10/28 – Diana sends me about 10 emails full of pictures that need to be put in a book for a child who has been adopted, “Heidi”. I open one of the emails and see this picture of Heidi and her best friend, “Gwynne”. I am immediately drawn to Gwynne and ask more about her. She is still in China! They are supposed to be working on her file, and we are trying to see where that stands. I showed the picture to Richard just because I was so smitten with her.


10/29 – I share with Richard that I can’t get this little girl off my brain and heart. I asked him to pray about the possibility that she is ours. I told him that I was not saying she was our daughter, but if she was...we couldn't leave her in China! He agreed to pray about it but also stated that he really hoped “now” wasn’t the time. I can’t say I disagreed with that sentiment. This was not something I was pushing for.

11/1 – Richard and I go out to dinner and have a long conversation. We decided that we would jump in with both feet and go back to China. Actually, he said, “I’ve been thinking about it. We might as well start our paperwork.” I have to say…I was kind of shocked! We decided that Wesleigh needs a sister to grow up with. I am hoping that we can miraculously time it right to be able to get Gwynne, but I am afraid that her file will be sent to the CCAA before we’re ready with our paperwork.

11/10 – I tell my mom that we have decided to adopt again. She is shocked and thrilled. I reminded her of the fortune cookie at church and we laugh. She says, “I don’t know…you might should have gone to the conference, maybe He would have given you an easier dream”. lol...