He wasn't finished

When we first arrived back home from China last July I thought never ever in a million years are we going to adopt again.  I was exhausted.  I was stressed out.  I was so out of it.  I didn't even want to talk adoption talk, read blogs or look at waiting children.  I was so done.  But you know what?  God wasn't.

The stirring started in October.  I remember standing at my kitchen sink washing a pot and thinking that if God wanted this to happen again I'm on board but God was going to have to work on Dan by himself.  There was no way I was going to bring this up to him.  My man was flat out stressed out.  We had a lot going those first few months...transition, medical appointments, more transition, dropping our oldest off to college (out of state mind you) and well, you get the picture.  It was a tough couple of months those first few months.

It was on a trip to the coast just me and my guy that I saw and heard how his heart was starting to change.  It had been about month since I had that talk with God in the kitchen and I hadn't said a word to anyone.  Dan said the words about one more.  My first thought was really?  Really, God?  Really?  Yeah, it was more of a question rather than, Really?!!!!?!?!!! 

I don't want to bore you with all the back and forth details that have taken place over the last four months.  Mostly we have been praying and confirming that we were on the same page.  We went up and down but the stirring never went away.  It became very clear to both Dan and I that God wasn't finished with growing our family.

And so I introduce to you, Noelle Hope XiaoXu.

 She just turned 8 on February 28th.  She is waiting for us in the Shaanxi province of China.

She has scoliosis and is post op for cataracts and has had lens replacement.

Thanks to Bonich we are very familiar with scoliosis.  The cataracts/lens replacement will be a new special need for us.  The part that concerns us the most is that she has lived in an orphanage since she was three months old....WAY TOO LONG. 

We are hoping to travel by the end of the year to bring our girl home.