Well the new year is here! At least it was a few weeks ago when I started this post!
2011 wasn't so bad, but I am glad to see it behind me. Hoping 2012 is less stressful. Yeah, right! That was one of the dumbest things I've ever thought.
Our Christmas was nice but busy. We (I) tried to change a few family traditions that, in the past, caused me to be too busy, and I wanted to be able to enjoy Christmas more this year. When I mentioned that I wanted to try something different, I ran into a bit of resistance. I do understand, but I just don't know how to make everyone, including me, happy. I did get to visit with my sister and her family. She flew up from Miami to Ohio to spend Christmas with her son and daughter-in-law and granddaughters, so we drove there to spend an evening with them. I so wish she lived closer, but I'll take whatever time I can get!
Our agency told us that we would probably travel to China in April, but there is a trade show in Guangzhou that whole month and hotels and restaurants, etc., double during that time. To save money, we will wait until May to travel to Winn. There is a very slight chance we could travel in March, but it would be difficult for Doug to get away for 15 days then, during peak tax season.
My second part-time job has come to an end so Gob Cakes Galore is back in business. We're very far from our fundraising goal for this adoption. It has been discouraging. I don't doubt that God wants us to adopt Winn, or any child for that matter, but my patience is surely being tested to see how or when He's going to take care of it. It could just mean continuing to work hard at doing without certain things most people take for granted, or working another part-time job, or having another yard sale...
I mentioned this in our Sunday School class last month, and I'm going to say it here, too. I hope by saying this people don't think I'm a bad person. It doesn't really matter what anyone thinks, I'm going to say it anyway! I'm not excited about bringing home a 9 year old orphan boy. A boy who doesn't know how to be part of a family. I look forward to seeing him learn how to be part of our family, though. A friend of Marlee's asked me last night if I was ready for two boys. No. I'm not! I really can't imagine life here with Jerremy AND Winn. I would be so excited to be bringing home a baby girl again. Maybe not a baby, but a little girl would be so sweet! However, God didn't say for us to bring home a little girl. So I'm just going to go with it and pray A LOT that God gets us through whatever is ahead. Because if life didn't include times to grow our faith, what good would this life be? (Hmmm. A bumper sticker maybe?) Haha!
