Last night we went to a surprise party.....our surprise party!
Our dear friends and family orchestrated a beautiful evening for us to celebrate our upcoming family expansion. The night was full of family, friends, celebration and thoughtful details that came together to make a marvelous symphony of love and support. Let me tell you about it and what it meant to us.....
There was authentic Chinese fare. Not just a couple main dishes and rice, but a smorgasbord of various Chinese textures, flavors, and colors.....some with unexpected spice!
Dessert. My favorite part of any meal! Brownie cupcakes placed and decorated to resemble a dragon with individual dragon sugar cookies on the side and a mish mash of other cookie desserts!
Beverages. Hot tea and water at every table and bottled Chinese beer.
Gifts. An adorable necklace with a picture of the maps of the U.S. and China side by side that were connected by a string looped into a heart. A three disc DVD set, "Baby Learns Chinese" that I have been "eyeballing" for awhile. A special diaper bag that says, "Ni Hao China". In it were various travel size items to help with our physical needs while traveling as well as a collection of manila folders with advice on traveling, attaching, and surviving to address our emotional needs.
Awesome? Indeed. But, all of it paled in comparison to the best gift of the night. Being surrounded by friends and family who support us. It was clear through the night not only that we were celebrating the beautiful child we have waited for, but we felt that we would be supported moving forward. I have confidence that an army of people will be there in the small details as well as the insurmountable challenges. I not only know that I will be loved, but that I am surrounded by a community that wants to help me raise Jacob in the best way I can. They know that supporting me is supporting him.
My sister and her husband made the drive from Raleigh to Cincinnati and she told me tonight that it was clear I had a good support system in our adoption. No doubt about that. It could be seen not only in the genuine excitement I saw on their faces last night, but in the time they have invested already in helping us succeed when Jacob comes home.
As I have said in previous posts, God has used these last six years to prepare my heart and give me peace, strength and perseverance for the days ahead. But He has also surrounded me with a network of people who have helped me to understand the unique challenges of parenting an adopted child and have given me the courage to do so. Just last night one friend was being hard on herself (you know who you are) about her parenting decisions. The group of us could easily see that the object that was so frustrating for her, was a HUGE victory for her child and it reflected the hard and intentional work they have poured into her life. There it was again, that network of people who surround you and say, "This is hard, and you are doing the hard work, and look at how far you have come." Amazing and an honor to be a part of.
A quick update: I will pick up our Visas tomorrow, the last puzzle piece to a massive paper chase! We are now working on final packing details. I bought an Ipod on Craigslist over the weekend because I can't be without my Christian music in China! We are writing and meeting our new, extended "family" members whom we will travel with and a group of us who are bringing home our children from Weinan. The excitement of our group is impossible to conceal! We learned this week we have received permission to visit the orphanage (big answer to prayer!) We are enjoying this time in the process and the excitement it brings. I leave you with a quote from a letter I received from a friend last night. Meaningful words to remember while we are away that reflect the support we are so grateful to have.
"Just focus on getting home. You have family and friends you can lean on once you are here, and we will make sure you are taken care of. If the number of days between now and home seems overwhelming, just focus on getting through today. And if that's too overwhelming, focus on getting through the next hour or two."
Thank you my dear friends and family for our party, but more so for loving us. It is this love and support that will get us to China and home with Jacob.
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