Proverbs 16:3 Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and he will establish your plans.
James 1:27 Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.
I am just so stinking giddy to be at this point! Hope that I have this same joyful heart in a week! We are waiting for the C.C.C.W.A to issue our travel approval!!! When we get it, we will request our consulate appointment. That should take 24 hours to get approved and then we can book our travel! Our updates from the orphanage have slowed down and I am really missing my girl♥ We are praying for one more update and answers to some questions we asked, before we leave! So that is my prayer request now, that they would find 10 minutes in their day to write us back!!!
It is hard not to compare numbers, so take this with a grain of salt... Based on the current trends, we could expect to depart 3/14, however, there is also a chance it will be 3/21!!! Ultimately we trust the perfect timing of our heavenly daddy, I just need to remind my flesh that!!! Stinking free will gets in the way sometimes :)
In the meantime, I started packing! All three girls are packed and ready to go! I am working on the boys this weekend! It is my hope that when we do get the wonderful phone call, all I have to do is clean the house and hop on a plane!!! But I am well aware that 100 things could pop up between now and then, so at least this beast will be out of the way!!!
We are coming Jessa Zhao Mae, not much longer baby girl ♥
We had plans to spend our Valentine's Day with the kids and some sub sandwiches, at the beach, watching the sunset! The rain foiled our plans! But also, my bug came home with three roses, for his three daughters! That was another emotional wrench thrown into my night! I was overwhelmed with sadness as I stood in the kitchen holding Jessa's flower! "She is not here, she doesn't even know how much she is loved!" Needless to say I cried! I know, completely shocking to those of you who know me well! But this little cry in the kitchen was the pathway to one of the best Valentine Days we have had! I had this brilliant idea, and after a few small pleas to my hubby, we headed to airport! THE AIRPORT? Yes, I was ready to hop on a plane and spend the rest of my time, waiting, in China! Okay, maybe that is not the complete truth, but I did have a great idea up my sleeve! We ended up at Panda Express and got our food to go, next stop was the top floor of the parking garage at Tampa International Airport! We at our Chinese food and watched planes take off and land! It made us all a little giddy, okay maybe Jason wasn't giddy! But we were contemplating our own plane ride in the next 4-5 weeks! Call me nutty, but I felt so close to my Jessa tonight! After dinner and of course pictures, we had a few kiddos that needed a potty break! Jason suggested we wait until our next surprise stop, but I insisted we not wait (HOW THOUGHTFUL OF ME RIGHT?) hahaha! NO it was a selfish scheme to get my spontaneous bug INTO the airport!!! WOOHOOO , another step closer to running and buying a ticket - ha :) We took some pictures in the bathroom, okay Jason and the boys were not a part of these festivities, but my girlfriends and I did! Then we were on our way to our next surprise! We took the kids to Build A Bear and made Jessa a special friend named Bella! I know it would be considered an interesting choice of stops to most, but it was absolutely perfect to me!
Here is a preview of our evening, through the lens of my phone! I couldn't love these sweet people of mine more!
Happy Valentine's Day ♥
Jessa, it is about lunch time for you now as I sit here thinking about your adorable little self! I want you to know how much you were missed tonight. We need you here now, but trust that God has a perfect plan in place for us to meet your sweet face! Love you to the moon and back~ Mommy xoxox
How long do you want to be loved Is forever enough Cause I'm never, never giving you up
I have heard this song by the Dixie Chicks numerous times, but tonight it stands out to me. Maybe because we are in process and my heart is aching to hold my girl, a precious four year old that sits half way around the world who has NO IDEA the multitude of love in my heart for her! But also because I have an affectionate, gracious, passionate, zestful, little boy that sits so perfectly in my arms tonight! Most of the time he accepts my love with no questions! But then there are those days when he requires me to affirm it! He tells me that I will love him forever, in a questioning type of way. He brings up the days mischief, bad choices, and asks me again if I will love him forever? He reminds me that I will never leave him, never let him down, and always love him! It is a conversation that will break your heart, if you are caught off guard. But it is an easy conversation to be had, because my reply is ALWAYS the same. "Jackzhen you could never be so naughty that mommy would EVER stop loving you, God gave you to me, and I DO LOVE YOU, I WILL LOVE YOU, I AM YOUR MOMMY FOREVER!" Then sometimes I tell him "no no captain hook, you can not take my Jackzhen, go away go away!" he likes that part ♥
I can honestly say I was not prepared for these types of conversations a year ago. But that is okay, God equips you with the tools you need at the time!
I am sure that my Jessa will have her own share of questions and required affirmations! I am ready to remind her, love her, encourage her, and SHOW her what love is....
I hope forever is enough, because I am never going to give them up ♥
