Monday, May 11, 2009

Memorial Box Monday--the girls

Click here to view these pictures larger

**Picture courtesy of A Page in Time Photography/Christy Zettel


I was thinking about how to write my Memorial Box Monday post. I have a billion ways that God has blessed our family, but I couldn't think of a symbol to represent the story for today. Then, I stumbled across this picture. Perfect. (There are other amazing pictures Christy took, but they will be used on our blog later!)

Last week, I talked about Kairos. God's quality of time. Today, in my (pretend) Memorial Box, I'm putting a picture of my daughters. Two. Twins.

Yesterday, on Mother's Day, I went through a whole gamut of emotions. I felt SO thankful and grateful for my daughters. I felt pain for those who long for kiddos and cannot have them (or just can't yet!). I wanted birthmoms to feel joy that they chose a life for their child (and their adoptive parents) if they created an adoption plan. I was just all over the place. And I also reflected on how God bumped up my life resume by giving me the title, "Mama".

Years ago, when Tony and I were first married, we didn't want kids. (Gasp, did I say that aloud?) Then, about five years into our marriage, we noticed the hole in our hearts that were kid-shaped. Then, minus one ovary later, we started our adoption journey. And this is where I want to pick up.

You see, we went from not wanting kids, to being blessed with two incredibly amazing little people that God formed in His image, and meshed into our souls. But the amazing part is, we should have NEVER received twins to begin with!

I tread here carefully. Only once in our journey were we ever attacked over our adoption and I do not want it to happen again. But, I want Abby and Laney to know that our family was not created by some fluke, or government agency...but by the divine hand of God.

Here's how it goes...

  • We didn't request twins. When we first started our journey, it was a big enough leap of faith to say, "Ok God. Our daughter is in China, you say? Ok, then here I am, Lord. Send me!" (Isaiah 6:8) Especially when we didn't even want one child when we first got married! So when our homestudy agency asked if we wanted to be approved for twins, we were like, "Um, no thank you. One will keep us busy enough!" We didn't know we wanted twins, but thankfully, God did! After "The call" from our agency, we scrambled to get an addendum done. We had grown so much and KNEW these girls were meant to be ours!
  • Ch*na has some strict financial guidelines regarding twins. The parents should be pretty financially set in order to care for two children, according to them. *cough, cough* Thank goodness we have some antiques and antique cars that helped us in this department!
  • Ch*na also has a pretty strict policy that one parent should be a stay-at-home parent if twins are brought home. Well, we were not in the financial standing for one of us to stay at home full-time (and still aren't due to my shopping habit!) But somehow, that got overlooked!
  • We were going the special needs route, with our agency. This was after much prayer and consideration. We felt strongly that our child would be on a list that our agency would get from Ch*na. However, our agency had NEVER received twins on their special needs list. (and they're a big agency!)
There are even more reasons we know that we serve a God who can look at a mountain and say, "MOVE!" and it does! The reasons I listed were all pretty big mountains. But our mountains, are God's speed bumps.

In June 2006, when we logged into the waiting line for our child from Ch*na, twin girls were NO WHERE on our radar. However, on August 24, 2007, when we got the call about LuLa and LuMei...nothing ever felt so right.

My heart flutters every time I think about how things could have ended up so differently had one little thing or another been any different. (Like, going to our first adoption meeting the month the girls were born, or switching to the special needs program at the precise time we did, when both girls were healthy and ready for a mommy and daddy to come get them!---KAIROS!) I am humbled to know that our God chose us to parent two of His very own. They were created to be our daughters.

So I'm tucking in this picture of our two girls. Our babies. Who share so many characterisitcs, mannerisims, and personality traits that we are dumfounded they're not biologically ours. They will forever know that we serve a God whose love picks up where our dreams leave off. That's our God. We dreamed a wonderful dream of parenthood. Thank GOD His plans are bigger than our dreams.

So, like Linny's story...although Ch*na said NO! God said YES!



Description

14 comments:

Jaime G. said...

super cute! i lov ethe balck & whites, where they are holding hands and walking away. melts my heart

The Thomasson's said...

Those are such cute pictures! Thanks for sharing them with us.

Lori at JOY Unspeakable said...

SOOOO Adorable!! What a blessing those two beauties are to you!

IzzyBeth said...

Yay!! I love it.

Anonymous said...

DEAR SWEETIE-HEART,TODAY I NEEDED A REASON TO SMILE,AND I READ THIS AND A SMILE WAS ALL ACROSS MY FACE. GOD BLESSED TONY AND YOU WITH TWO LIL GIRLS AND THAT HAPPINEST WAS SO CONTAGIOUS IT TOUCHED MANY LIVES. GOD IS SOOOO GOOD. SO IF YOU SEE SOMEONE TODAY WITHOUT A SMILE,SIMPLY GIVE THEM ONE OF YOURS. ALWAYS REMEMBER...LIVE SIMPLY,LOVE SERIOUSLY,CARE DEEPLY,SPEAK KINDLY AND TURN THE REST OVER TO GOD,LOOK UP, HE IS WAITING. LOVE NOW AND FOREVER,MOM SADLER

Chris and Sarah said...

Oh do I remember those days of you thinking we were crazy enough to do fertility treatments and adoption to get a child. Who was crazy enough to want a child that bad???

Funny how God works. I know those 2beauties are a miracle from God and made perfect just for your family. I also know God made them so stinkin special you will probably be crazy enough to have 20someday.

I think deep down you really did want kids anyway you were just having fun being a couple in love.

Lauren said...

Okay, since I haven't seen the girls in person for almost a year, I'm having trouble identifying them. In this beautiful picture of them, is Abby in front or is Laney? I am still so thrilled that you and Tony were blessed with such wonderful girls! I love watching them grow up through you're thoughts and you're stories. Your daughters are two well loved people!

Adeye said...

Oh my--I have chills. Isn't it sooooo incredible how the hand of God was just ALL OVER your adoption? Wow--so amazing. Yes, He can move any darn mountain He wants to. He just speaks it into being.

Thank you sooooo much for sharing your story, I have often wondered how you got twins, I know it is rare. How blessed you are, dear friend.

Can't wait to see the other pics.

Anonymous said...

OK! you went and made me cry!!!! I am glad for you and mostly glad that the girls have a great and loving family now.

Best wishes and I hope you had a great Mama's Day!!!

Lynnette

Tony and Rett said...

OH, and for those keeping count, I thought of another reason we should have never been matched! Since Abby got sick as a baby, we're shocked they didn't separate the girls and get Laney ready to be adopted without Abby! THANK GOD the Social Welfare Institute said NO, they must stay together!!! Can you imagine?

Jaime G. said...

haha! in reply to your comment on my post.... i have 7 tattoos. they are sort of all over. one on each ankle, one on my tummy, one near my lady parts, wrist, and two on my lower back. there are as follows.... a ladybug, an icthus, a tribal design, a sun that was from the ace in a deck of Grateful Dead playing cards, a 4 leaf clover, a lily, and the word "TRUST" on the inside of my wrist (for Proverbs 3:5,6... it's pretty much how we ended up getting jax)

i think my next one might be jax's footprint, and then i can get a new footprint for each child running up my ribs. i'm still deciding.

April Isaacs said...

That was so beautifully written Rett. I know the girls will cherish those words when they get older.

They are very blessed to have you and Tony as their parents.

April

Cammie said...

Ok I am now officially depressed that they are so big.

Heather said...

Just found your blog. This is such a sweet post. Funny the paths life will take you down that you never expected to be on. I loved the story. I never knew China required Moms of twins to be SAHM.

Take care,
Heather


P.S. Help me build a house for a needy family in Vietnam and you could win a double/single stroller.

Check it out: http://wwwjourneytoourdestiny.blog
spot.com/2009/05/could-you-use-new-stroller-check-this.html