What is the best way to enjoy a Saturday of carefree timelessness with two energetic boys? Hit the Sculpture Trail at Cheekwood, and run them through the woods!
They especially loved the glass bridge.
We always have time to stare at a beautiful butterfly willing to pose. The truly amazing thing is to see wild creatures (yes, Elliot and Gavin) transform into peaceful little ones to absorb the moment with the delicate butterfly!
Onto adoption news (or a lack thereof...) This Thursday marks four weeks that our paperwork has been in the hands of Moldovans. We talked to the agency on Friday to learn that Moldova has decided it is important (and now absolutely necessary) to submit TWO original copies of our dossier. You may recall that the dossier is the big chunk of documents we gathered over time and them had notarized, certified, and apostilled. The good news is that the first completed dossier keeps us in the "line-up." The bad news is that I am now waiting again on documents like certified birth certificates and a certified marriage certificate from three different states while also gathering other items like medical clearance, proof or residence, home study reports, etc. Once I have all 20 required original documents in hand, George and I will sign for the notary public. Fortunately, I know the drill for the certification at the county clerk's office and the apostilles at the Secretary of State's office. No worries. This is a very minor bump in the road compared to things I have been told to anticipate along the way in this adoption journey. I do so like the "end date" of pregnancy. "What? It's been 40 weeks now? Well, by all means, let's schedule that delivery for tomorrow!" I'm just going to keep making up my own secret "due date" and then adjust accordingly if it comes and goes without my little dude's arrival!
When I am not talking to Elliot and Gavin about how we are going to be patient with our new little person(s) upon arrival, I am wondering what he is doing in Moldova right now. For example, "Let's see. It is 8:08pm in Tennessee, so it is 4:08am in Moldova. I hope he is sound asleep, getting some good rest." Is he content there because he knows no different, or does he nuzzle against the side of the crib at night just to feel secure?
Also, I can't help but ponder what the logistics of this process are truly like. Is there a big adoption headquarters in Chisinau, Moldova, with a bunch of kids' faces plastered on the wall like "Most Wanted" posters? I imagine a couple of people with a pile of folders on their desks, sipping black coffee as they read about families in America who would like to take a little person back with them? What do they think of us? Do they think, "Ah, I am so excited for them and the child they will love!" or are they disgruntled as they ponder, "Who do they think they are coming over here to grab a child to raise as an American?"
I don't know the answers to any of these questions and likely never will. I just know that God has His hand in it all. He has known since the beginning of time who the person would be who picked up a file from a Tennessee family and to join them together with a future family member(s) with the simple slide of a paperclip. Can't you just see it now? With the file in one hand, they grab a picture off "the wall" with the other hand. Voila! New family! Then the file with the face paper-clipped to the front sits in the "matched" basket for a couple days until the part-time girl comes for the weekly pick-up.
Meanwhile, I want to yell at the imaginary girl, "No carefree timelessness for you! Hurry up!! Run, run, run! Don't you know we want to start hugging on this little man yesterday? The faster you move, the faster he gets used to knowing what it is to be loved. Let's feel the sense of urgency together! Move, move, move!! He needs to wrestle with his older brothers. They want to teach him to burp at inappropriate times and then laugh uncontrollably until Mom's reprimands also turn into laughter. Elliot wants him to start learning the best way to climb our poplar tree in the backyard. Gavin needs to help train him to put his shoes in the shoe bucket, so they don't get lost in the wrestle room toy explosion...and then convince Mom he deserves a treat from the "treat basket" for it. He should soon be cuddled up in his mama's lap reading Goodnight, Gorilla and holding hands with his daddy as they search for crawdads in the creek. There is time for you to enjoy carefree timelessness later but NOT NOW. Please, PLEASE don't get another cup of coffee until you have moved that file to the next person. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you!" I pray that we are enjoying carefree timelessness soon with another little one.
"The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps."
Proverbs 16:9
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