Joshua's Adoption Ceremony and Dedication

Some things in life are just worth making a big deal over and celebrating. September thirteenth we did our best to make a big deal about God's goodness and the amazing miracle of our adoption of Joshua. Here's a lot of pictures from the night.

Hannah and Hudson were dressed in their Chinese outfits we brought back for them. They were our greeters for the evening and passed out prayer cards for Joshua. We had over ninety people come to celebrate with us.

Here's a friend of ours leading us in a few songs of worship. He's really not as mean as he looks! He and his wife have also recently adopted so it was special to have him lead part of our ceremony.







After worshipping, we showed the video montage of our trip to get Joshua. (It's the one I posted a few posts ago.)


Our friend and pastor, Jim shared a few words about God's adoption of us.



For Rusty and I, the most significant part of the whole ceremony was making our commitments to Joshua. Knowing that it is common for adopted children to sometimes struggle with their place in the family, we wanted to make verbal, written and public commitments to him. Since he more than likely won't remember what we said that night, we've printed them out and will frame them.


Hudson really liked the hat that went with his outfit!!

Hannah is such a sweet sister!

Here we are dedicating Joshua, giving our little miracle back to the Lord. He's God's and we are most blessed and amazed that we get to be his parents!

To end the ceremony, everyone gathered around our family and prayed over us. What a gift!

Next it was time to party!!! Joshua's second birthday was just three days away, so this was his birthday celebration as well as reception. Here's about 150 cupcakes with fortune cookies on top!

My friend Amy and I had a lot of fun with the decorating!!!

We made luminaries out of Chinese "to go" boxes.

We served crab rangoon, egg rolls, punch and "fortune cupcakes."

Grandpa and Grandma (my parents) came up from New Mexico to celebrate with us.

Our little sign in table had a framed picture with mat for people to sign as well as two scrapbook sized papers for people to write notes.

Here's my Mom, the proud new Grandma!

Could God have made him any more adorable?

Here's precious Piper. She's the treasure that our friend who lead the worship just adopted. She's pretty irresistible!!

Man we are so blessed!!! Just look at those three miracles!

GOTCHA two months ago!!!

I just happened to notice the date today and realized that we've had Joshua for two months now!!!
I'm astounded by the way that our hearts have fallen so deeply in love with him. I knew I would and could love him, but I didn't know it would happen so quickly and go so deeply. Flesh, blood and genetics really mean nothing to a mom!!
Joshua is a pretty amazing little guy. We think he's one sharp fortune cookie! It appears that he is comprehending almost all that we say to him. He's not saying very much (except Mama and bye bye.... which when you get down to it what else do you really need to say in this life?) He has learned about six signs. This week he started his speech therapy. His therapist will be coming to our home once a week.
Rusty was gone on business for about four days. He called on his way home tonight and I asked Hud if he wanted to talk to Daddy. Joshua heard me say this and ran over to me. He started grunting loudly, pointing to the phone and doing the sign for please. I asked him if he wanted to talk to Daddy too, and he shook his head yes and grinned really big. When he got on the phone, he grunted a few things, listened to Rusty then said, "Bye Bye."
We think he is going to grow up and be a dentist some day. He brushes his teeth about 6 times a day.
He's also a little climber. I have to be careful about what I put on my kitchen table.
Last weekend we had his adoption ceremony and birthday celebration. It was really special and so much fun! I will post pictures as soon as I get them.
Hud and Han have been adjusting really well, and seem to have settled into our new norm. I have them on a daily schedule now that has given them some predictability to their day and some security that they will still get their needs met (like reading and play time with me). Han is my rule lover, schedule follower. She's always wanting to know what is next on the schedule. The other day she said, "Mom, when I am old enough to get my license Hud and I can just drive over to Chuckie Cheese's during our "free play time" on the schedule." (She informed me that Chuckie Cheese's is where a kid can be a kid. I asked her where a mom can be a mom and she said at small group!)
Life is settling down for me too! I'm not feeling like I'm going insane by 3pm. I'm still trying to learn how to juggle it all, while living a dependent life on the Father. That's a really tight rope to walk! (Sounding like a circus, huh!)
Rusty and I celebrate our tenth anniversary this week. Please pray that we can carve out some quality time together to celebrate. Our anticipated trip to some place tropical for a second honeymoon turned out to be an amazing adventure to China this summer! Not so romantic, but incredible, life-changing and we're keeping our little souvenir forever!!

Dear Birthmother,

My sweet baby boy turns two tomorrow. He's your baby boy too. I thought about you today. What will tomorrow be like for you? Will you think about the son you gave birth to just 24 months ago? Will you wonder where he is? Will you cry?

I have many questions about who you are, but I mostly have compassion. I wonder if you carried our son with anticipation and excitement, feeling him move and kick, counting the days until you could deliver him. Was your labor hard? Did it break your heart to have your firstborn finally in your arms only to realize that the extent of his facial deformity was beyond your ability to give him the help he needed because you were poor? Did it tear your heart out to relinquish him?

Or maybe he wasn't your firstborn. Maybe you knew all along that you would not be able to raise the child you were carrying, but you chose to give him birth instead of end his life.

I'll never know the answers to these questions, but I want you to know that I'm grateful that you gave life to Joshua. He is an amazing little guy, so affectionate, loving, active and smart. I hope somehow you know that he is loved deeply by his family. I pray that somehow you will someday know the One who created you, that you will find life through his Son and that one day in heaven you will see Joshua again.

Joshua's Adoption Video

Dad's got another huntin' buddy!!!

Bet some of you were wondering how long it would take Rusty to get his new son in some camo! And, while some of you might cringe at this, others will be glad to know that PaPaw's already bought this little hunter his own rifle! Don't worry cringers, Hud got one a few days after he was born and hasn't shot it yet.