Our Bigger Picture.....: "our bigger picture just got even BIGGER"...

Soooooo I am over the moon excited to share this blog post and it is definitely way over due.... I will just get straight to the point and you can continue to read the long drawn out story if you want too!!!
WE ARE ADOPTING AGAIN!!!! YES, FROM CHINA!!!!!

In June, I started discussing the idea of one more child with Jason. I was just so amazed at how quickly and effortlessly Jackzhen had fit right into our family. I found myself day dreaming about one more, sweet, little child. I had that same desires that I did before Jackzhen, those that divinly told me there was one more child that was meant to be an Aldrich! So after a long chain of events, Jason's heart being opened to another child, we decided that in January we would move forward with another special needs adoption from China! Yes, I am well aware that this is only September! But as I learned with Jackzhen's adoption, there are times that you think you know, and then realize you were totally off! There is verse in Proverbs that says, "In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps." This verse totally came to my mind when I saw a video, August 14th, of a sweet little girl who needed a momma and daddy to love her!

I had been looking at posts on an advocacy page that I am a part of. I came across this video of this 3 year old girl. The wording at the bottom of the video said something like, watch this and you'll be amazed! So, I obliged! I remember thinking, she is so sweet! I wonder when her birthday is? So I emailed a friend and asked her that very question! She wrote back quickly and said 10-25-08. That meant she was 7 weeks younger than Jackzhen! But that didn't stop my wheels!!! I started processing the idea of having another child that close in age. I immediately thought about the birth order and how this adorable little one didn't change anything, she would compliment it nicely! I was growing quickly excited about the thought of having "virtual twins!" - but I was also wrestling with the fact that Jason and I agreed to wait until January to review files! But right then, the phone rang! It was my favorite Bug (my term of endearment for my sweet husband). As usual, he asked what I was doing. I told him that I was trying to concentrate but that I couldn't get a darling little face out of my head. I explained to him that there was this video, she was 7 weeks younger than Jackzhen, and before I could get much more out, Jason said, "I will look at the video when I get home!" I happily grinned!!! YOU WILL? I asked to be sure!!! I didn't push or nudge, he wanted to see the file and I was elated to say the least! Well, that was Tuesday, the day we locked her file! We prayed, talked, talked, prayed, and Thursday we wrote our letter of intent to China! I was so excited!!!!! We had agreed not to tell anyone for a week or two. After all, that is how long it takes to get a pre-approval from China. HOWEVER, when my God is in something - HE is in it completely! We got our pre-approval from China in 24 hours, ONE day!!!! My agency worker called me at 9am on Friday morning, which I might add is 6am for her, (I LOVE KELSEY MELVIN haha). She said, "You're never going to guess what I have!!" I said, "Shut up!!!" HA - (SHE LOVES ME TOO). It was our pre-approval, amazingly, divinely, quick to say the least! The pre-approval is the first document in the long list of documents from China. It locks a child's file indefinitely and approves the family to more forward with the adoption! Well that was August 15th! I immediately called our social worker to let her know we needed a new homestudy! She is an amazing lady herself and on September 14th, I had 4 notarized copies of my homestudy in my hand to mail out to my agency! I am blessed beyond measure to be working with such amazing women, yet again, that have a heart for these children, my child, and want to work as hard as me to unite her with her FOREVER family! Soooo that is it in a nutshell!!! We are going back to China!!!

NOW, on to the fun stuff!!!!! Here is the video of our sweet daughter

Jessa Zhao Mae Aldrich

And here are a few pictures of the sweet face that I can't wait to love!