WE LEAVE TOMORROW!!!

I can’t believe it!  Tomorrow night we get on a plane and start our journey to India.  It’s crazy to think of the roller coaster that the last year brought us on and now it’s really here.  I tucked Jackson into his bed tonight and looked over at Ranjit’s bed knowing that the next time I tuck in boys in this house there will be two!!  We have had Ranjit’s bed set up just the way it would be for him since the spring when we sent him pictures of it.  It is a fun helicopter fleece blanket that Grandma Kathy made and I haven’t let anyone use it.  His train it on top of his bed waiting as a surprise and familiar object to hopefully help him feel like this is home.  I tucked in sweet Laila for the last time and she was all full of “I love you SO much momma” and “I miss you SO much!”  This morning in my quiet devotion time with her I asked her if she is upset that she’s not going and she just smiled.  Then I asked her if she’d rather go with mommy and daddy or stay with Grandma and she immediately said “I stay Bamma!!!”  She’s sure excited for that and I’m so thankful that she and my mom have such a strong bond.  My mom was the only one waiting for us at our house that day we brought her home and has never been afraid of her tubes or awkwardness to hold.  She’s been devoted to her from the beginning and I know that’s a major reason why she loves her so much.  And now we bring our second child home.

Adoption is such a different thing and a lot of people don’t understand how to handle it.  And that’s OK.  Love us and love our son and we’ll be good :)  And if you get a chance, hop on over to this blog HERE to get a little glimpse into what things may be like for us.  She hits it right on and is hilarious too :)

I keep thinking about Ranjit (obviously).  I wonder what he thinks about all of it.  I pray all day every day that he still has room for love in his little broken heart.  I pray “God please let him find room to love me.”  I picture what his goodbye ceremony is going to be like at the orphanage and I literally weep picturing him giving out his little gifts to his friends after five years of watching others come and go.  This will be something I will never forget and I can not wait to watch and be so proud of my son for enduring the wait.  Our wait has been nothing compared to his.  I wonder will he like his brother and sisters?  Will I get to watch that incredible miracle God put in children where they know no boundaries or language barriers and they just play and love and be, because they are so pure of heart? (no rose colored glasses thinking they won’t fight at all like brothers and sisters do but you know what I mean).  Will God continue to move mountains for our family in the amazing way He has over the past year and what other things will He use to grow us.  We’ll find out and I’m thankful to be His instrument.

So today I……

• packed (mostly)
• went to a bank north of our town to try to get the foreign draft, thought I did, thought I didn’t, now hope to pick it up on the way to the airport tomorrow.  advice to waiting families…… do this as soon as you can or at least find out how.  would’ve been good to not be in this time crunch.
• stared at the empty chair at dinner tonight thinking how many times we’ve prayed for it to be filled with our son
• began the kids activity schedule for the plane
• exchanged some clothes grandma bought for RJ because he’s a peanut and they were too big
• did some last minute banking
• hugged some friends
• tried on all my Indian clothes again (for fun!)
• was humbled by a friend who came and cleaned my house today

Tomorrow’s the big day!  Not sure when I’ll blog again… probably from India!!  THANK YOU all for your love support and prayers.  They are definitely felt.  I’m ready.