And so I begin...

I finally decided that I must... MUST get started posting on our blog. It has become a part of my day when I come home to check on Gwen (from the blog Journey to Gwen). Today I found yet another couple who are in the process of adopting from China who also visit the site frequently. Part of what has stopped me from beginning to post is knowing where to begin since we are already several months into the process. I decided that I should just begin by telling how we managed to find ourselves in this adoption journey.
We've been through so much the past three years. Just deciding to begin to start a family was difficult with us. At this point, we have been through 4 IvF cycles. The first cycle worked but I miscarried after only 7 weeks. I just couldn't give up so quickly, and I just knew God wanted us to be parents together so we attemped 3 more cycles. After the total of 4 we just couldn't do it anymore. Then after going to a church Fall Festival and meeting a couple who were adopting two babies from the local Department of Family and Children Services, we decided to put our paperwork in to become foster parents with the desire to adopt a baby. Amazingly, we NEVER heard from them despite our many attempts. In the meantime, we decided to begin working with a domestic adoption company. Again... despite our efforts after handing in paperwork for about 8 months received the news this past July that the agency did NOT service our area. I was totally heartbroken and cried all day after learning this news. At this point, I was ready to close my mind to the idea of having children forever. A few days later, Geoff came home for lunch and asked me if I wanted to go to Charleston the following Saturday for an International Adoption Seminar. I agreed on the basis that we were not going to adopt internationally but would go only for the information. I talked Geoff into going to Hilton Head for a one night stay after it was over and quite frankly, was more excited about staying in Hilton Head than going to the seminar. We were going to be at the beach {which I totally love} and were going to go eat at our favorite restaurant {The Wild Wing Cafe} and just chill out. Never in my wildest dreams did I know what was in store for me! Once we finally found the place in downtown Charleston, we began the meeting with two other couples. The longer we sat there, the more sure I was that we were supposed to be there! They explained all of the countries that they worked with, but I was immediately drawn to China. After the seminar was over, we talked in the car on the way to Hilton Head. I had a strange feeling that our life was about to change and wondered if Geoff had gotten me to agree to go the meeting with the idea of changing my mind about international adoption (turns out I was right). We both wanted a girl and after meeting a beautiful little Chinese girl named Maizy, we decided that we would think about it.
That night after our dinner at the Wild Wing, we walked on the beach in the moonlight and decided that we both wanted to adopt from China. That beautiful night was July 16th! On the way home the next day, we stopped at the Barnes and Nobel and I picked out a journal with an ancient cherry blossom painting on the front so that we could write to our little girl. We also decided then and there that her name would be Lexi. Every since that night, we dream of Lexi and anxiously await the day when we finally meet. The timing has been so perfect. We came home the next day, submitted our application online, and heard from the agency the next day. By end of the week, we had submitted our formal application along with half of the agency fee and had located an agency to do our home study. The ease of completion of the process as been a gift from God. After all of the hardship we have been through, we feel as if we are on the right path finally.

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