December Update

This was another great month of matches. They have matched 29 children so far this month. This means in 2009 to date they matched 279 children, average of 23 a month. Still hoping we are getting close. I have seen some children matched this month with MCC (Medical Checklist) on file from September and October 2008 (remember our date is December 2008) so we are getting close. Of course there are also people that are being matched with MCC on file from January and February 2008. Keep in mind it depends on what each family is open to so it is a bit subjective and so hard to determine. Those of you who know me well know this is sooo hard! We are still being told based on what we are open to it is about an 18 month wait; which would mean June 2010 so this time next year we should be holding our baby girl! This month has gone pretty fast with Jonathon's birthday and Christmas! Eager to see what 2010 brings and praying it brings our daughter home!

Prayer Quilt is Finished

The prayer quilt is finished...100 quilt squares amazing, KING size quilt beautiful, 100 prayers for our precious daughter Grace that will cover her ...PRICELESS, thank you all so much from the bottom of our hearts! I have attached a copy, but it doesn't do it justice, if you are close by stop by and see it. We have squares that represent not only her locally, but other parts of the United States, Canada, Senegal, South Africa and even CHINA!

December 3, 2009...1 Year in the Wait!

Yeah we had 28 matches in November and already 3 in December. This means over the last 12 months (we have officially been in the waiting child program for 12 months) they matched 269 kids! That is amazing! Today is our official 1 year anniversary of our MCC (medical checklist) being filed and 272 kids matched since we filed a year ago. This is an average of 22 kids per month! If this rate continues we could be matched as soon as May; AND if we look at the matches over just the past 6 months when things have picked up they have matched more like 27 kids per month. At that rate we could see an April match…oh my we are getting close. This could really happen really soon, after 3 years and 2 months in the process it seems a little crazy that we could really be this close, that this really is about to happen. Now I know this is all statistics and numbers, but it is the only way I can keep myself focused on something. The adoption agency is saying based on what we are open to they are saying match would be more like June. Yeah, April-May-June....I will take it and the reality is God can do anything! He could bring us our little girl sooner ...or please Lord not later...He sure is teaching me in this season. I don't "wait" well. But still trusting his perfect timing!

This is really crazy, I was looking at the traditional program and the folks there that were just matched waited 3 years and 9 months; however it took 1 year and 9 months to match 3 months of kids so at that rate we would not be matched for 7 more years, I would be almost 50 and Guy almost 60 – that is crazy! Thank God I listened to HIM and not only the timing but I know when I set my eyes on my daughter for the first time it will all make perfect sense!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Keep praying my friends, family - my prayer warriors, let's pray these walls down that separate us from Grace, that she may be home soon! Pray for strength, courage and faith in God for Guy and I!

This my friends brings me to tears to think of. Our daughter based on the age we will get her, 1- 3 years old, is already born and someone over there whether in an orphanage or a foster home is taking care of her. Please pray for protection for our daughter and that God send his angels to surround her, I plead the blood of Jesus over her and that He speaks to her in his still small voice and makes himself known in her heart. May she know that she is loved and that God has plans for her. May God keep her safe and meet her needs until He brings her home. I catch myself wondering what she is doing? Where she is? Is she okay? Is she crying? Is someone holding her? Is someone loving her for us? Oh God love her through the arms of one of your angels over there until we can bring her home. For now we wait as a special friend said to me just a few weeks ago for her forever mommy and daddy to get to go and bring her home to her forever home with her forever family!

October Update

Matches this month were great! 33 matches! The best month yet! This means 238 children have been matched in 11 months. Okay so here I go predicting again, not sure if this makes this wait easier or harder but I have to have a goal my mind can focus on. The hardest thing is when I see that date move out as I hang on for the day I meet my daughter. So now at the rate that children have been matched over the past year it looks like maybe we get to see your picture and be told all about you in maybe 8 more months, like June 2010. Seems so far way, yet at the same time…oh my almost around the corner. I still pray for sooner! Oh God, open the doors for us to our precious daughter soon. Eagerly waiting for you Grace...

Oh, I got to take a peak at the prayer quilt that is being made for Grace. It is all sewn together and now just needs to be quilited…it is gorgeous! Hopefully next month it will be done.
Well for now, just holding on to the hope of seeing Grace soon and getting that call I so long to get…we have your daughter’s file. I can’t wait for that day. Loving her from far away for now.

September Update

Matches were good again this month. There were 21 matches. This means they have matched a total of 205 children in the Waiting Child Program since December when we entered this program. We were told at that time that there were about 200 families in front of us. Although this seems as if we could get a call any day or should have already been called this isn't necessarily the case. There are so many things to consider that really make this wait a lot of "unknown" in terms of "how much longer". This is extremely hard. There are families that could be more open to a special need or we could be more open so they don't necessarily go first on file first match. They match the child with the family that is open to their need and has their checklist on file first. So we do continue to get closer. The other thing we have found is that about 1/2 of the matches have been boys in this program and we are wanting a girl. So this could mean we are in reality 1/2 way through our wait. You know me, trying to figure it all out. Some of the "knowing" when makes it easier for me not to each day wonder if today will be the day we get the call. But I have to let go and let God. He is never late and never early, but always on time and I hold tight to that promise.

I heard a lady call in to the radio today and give her testimony on trusting God in the wait. What was she waiting for I wondered....then she said for 4 years they have been waiting for their daughter from China. We have been 3 years now. Like us, they too had already named their daughter and also had children at home continuing to get older (not to mention us parents!). She said something that struck me though. Over the course of the wait the reality is we could have been praying for our child from birth, from conception or possibly even before they were conceived and if this is what God needed us to do for our daughter, if this was his plan, oh my I wouldn't' want to be ahead of him for a second! As eager as I am to hold Grace in my arms, I don't' want to comprise one moment of the wait if this is essential in her journey home. So I am convicted in this as well, to continue to cover our daughter in prayer until she is home and continue to pray God's perfect timing and patience as we wait .....

August Update

We are thrilled with the matches again this month. This month we have had 28 matches! So we continue to get closer. We are still holding tight to God's promise and are beginning to see a light at the end of this long tunnel. Continue to see the numbers 11:11 on a clock this month many times and continuing to seek God in this but believing it ties to the adoption.

Grace's bathroom is officially complete. Of course she will need to add some splash of her own with photos/pictures dont' want to do that piece yet. So it is done and ready for her. See pictures.

Grace's quilt should be ready next week, looking forward to seeing it. Thanks again to all who contriburted!

Keep the prayers coming, they are surely working!

July Update

Well we continue to be very encouraged by the matches each month. The month of July we had 22 matches! We are down to 49 files in front of ours - 75% of our weight is over in 8 months! Honestly we are optimistic and holding on to "hope" of a match as early as SEPTEMBER, knowing God holds Grace and the perfect timing of all of this in his hands. We have sensed this timing as have a couple others that have walked closley along side us. Could it really happen? Could we beat the statistically odds? As eager as we are to hold Grace in our hands, we know that his hands are perfect as is his timing. Thanks prayer warriors, thanks for those who continue to encourage us on this journey, ask about her and claiming God's promises for our daughter.

I have seen the numbers 11:11 on a clock this month many times; seeking God in this but believing it ties to the adoption. Could it be our travel? I don't know, but further confirmation of what was spoken over our journey for Grace and Kelly and Fred's journey for Lily..two of the same. Kelly and I have been struggling with anxiety as we get close about our girls, their ages, their needs, and the timing of our match being the same. Have we traveled this journey for 3 years with the chance of not traveling together in the end. Then I remember the words of a dear friend that were spoken to me in December of last year - she said "I sense this to be "a two of the same" in that you and your sister are receiving the same blessing and the same moving of God in your lives right now particularly in this situation. What an experience to share together as sisters!!!" WOW! 11:11 the only two of the same numbers! I know some may think this is a stretch but it continues to happen over the past two weeks to a point that is beyond coincidence. Claiming this promise! Thankful God continues to speak through the ordinary and knows our hearts - we just have to look to him and ask for him to give us wisdom. Thank you Jesus for your promises, your faithfullness and your love!

As for the bathroom, we are well on our way here as well. Guy has stripped and painted the bathroom. We have put up new hardware and gotten new light and mirror hung. So we have some more work to day but it is over half way done. Hope over next month to have it complete! yes that would be by SEPTEMBER!

Grace's quilt squares have been dropped off to the quilter! Guess what we got exactly 100 squares - it will be a king size quilt! Thank you so much to everyone who contributed to this quilt - that is a 100 squares and more than that 100 individual prayers for our daughter - thank you so much! Oh and talked to the quilter this week, guess when it will be ready - SEPTEMBER!

Keep praying folks - our prayers and worship are moving things forward in the Spirit! It won't be long now til we see the face of our daughter...

June Update

Well another month has past and although the wait at times seems so long I am so glad to be able to say we have had another great month of matches. That is 3 months in a row where the matches continue to increase each month! PRAISE GOD! This continues to put us one step closer to Grace. This month there were 26 matches!!!! That puts us down to around 70 files in front of us. At this rate we could be looking at a match as early as December of this year....a daughter for Christmas oh wow! Keep those prayers coming for our time to continue to shorten until we have Grace home! Thanks for sharing in this journey with us...love to you all.

As for the bathroom, we havent' done much else there. This month has been very busy with baseball and swim with the boys. Hoping to make a little more head way this month there.

The quilt too has kind of been on hold due to busy month. But...I will say we have found someone to put the quilt together for us and gotten all the information together for her so we will be handing that over next month to be put together. Can't wait to see it!

May Update

Well we finally finished Grace's room! It has come together beautiful. Check out what we put above her bed...don't you love it?

Our next project....we will move on to get her bathroom together. We (well mostly Guy) have begun stripping it down from a boys bathroom and getting the border down and patching and sanding walls to get ready to paint.

We are also going to pick someone this month to put the quilt together for Grace. Yes, I am paying someone to do this for me....I am not a crafty one and with the busyness of life I would never get it done and it would never look as good as someone who knows what they are doing. Cant' wait to see it all put together though! Thanks again for all those squares and prayers you have sent.

We had 19 matches this month. Praising God this is 2 months in a row that the average (over past 12 months) matches have increased. We have had 103 matches since we converted our file in December, down to 97 in front of us – so over half way there in 6 months! YAHOO!

April Update...

We continue to work on Grace's room. It is coming together so well and looks beautiful! Kelly and I have had a blast putting it together. I have a some pictures so you can see it progressing.

The quilt squares are about all in now. If any of you still want to participate get them in quickly. We have 78 squares so far. We will soon begin to get the quilt put together.

Matches are up again this month..so exciting! 23 children matched this month...yeah God! Keep them coming.

82 matches since our MCC was filed in December. Down to about 118 families in front of us now.

March Update

Been busy working on getting Grace's room ready. The painting is now complete, thanks to Guy. Yes it is PINK! We got her bed and mattress. It is beautiful...white. Kelly and I have had so much fun shopping and pulling it together. She is not only my sister, and my bestfriend but also my personal seemstress! She finished up the bedskirt today and brought it over and we put it on - love it! Brown with pink flowers. Have the curtains (pink with white bamboo) but Kelly picked up a pretty trim she is sewing on it (browns and pinks) and then they will be ready to hang. She is working on my shams to for the bed..gotta love her! I am going to owe her big time!
Will post pictures when it's all done.

We are getting in lots of quilt squares and prayers for Grace. I have been in tears just overwhelmed by those like us that love her and know she is a special little girl with whom God has incredible plans. So far we have gotten 41 quilt squares in. The love and blessings and prayers and prophetic words that have been spoken over her have me standing in awe of God and my incredible family and friends. All this love will be wrapped around her soon with the quilt. Still have some more coming in and then we will begin getting someone to put the quilt together.


Matches were up this month yeah! 16 children matched, so hoping the trend continues….about 140 more children ahead of us. We are so excited. It seems like it could be so close. I feel like I am nesting as if in pregnancy, and very weepy when it comes to thinking of her…I love her so much already!

60 matches since our Medical Conditions Checklist (MCC) was filed 12/3/08. At that point there were about 200 families in front of us. So down to 140 families in front of us now, again this is not exact. Familes whose checklists are more open could be matched sooner, less open could be matched later...but this gives us an idea... Keep praying!

I-797C Received!!!

Well it has been a good day. Kelly and I went shopping and I bought Grace's bed. My first real purchase for her...so exciting. Then home to check mail and yes we got our I-179C so our immigration paperwork is current - yahoo!

The Good and the Bad

Well what first the good or the bad....let's get the bad out the way. This month only 9 children matched in the program. That stinks, but it is the Chinese New Year this month. During this time things shut down for about 2 weeks. It is their biggest holiday. Like Christmas here in the U.S. So praying for a big match month next month.

Now for the good - first, got an email today from USCIS and our I-800A has been approved and we should receive the approval in 7-10 days! Yahoo!

We also continue to get quilt squares in and this is so exciting! We actually got 5 squares in today from a friend we met back in the fall that is from China. She did a square for Grace and asked 4 friends in China to do for her as well. I was so excited about this. She will have some of her own culture sewn into the quilt and prayers and wishes from China! Is this cool or what? God has a really neat way of weaving things in to his plan and his purpose.

Kelly and I are off again this Friday shopping to try and finalize my decision on bedroom furniture for Grace...hey maybe even get lucky and purchase! We'll see!

Keep the quilt squares coming!

Fingerprints Today

Well we had our fingerprint appointment today and all went well. Another thing we can check off that puts us yet a little closer to our immigration paperwork being updated.

Keep those fabric squares coming in for her quilt. We are getting the quilt squares and prayer cards in for Grace and oh my goodness what a blessing. This quilt square you see is from my precious nephew, Mason. He picked it out all by himself and wrote Grace a sweet prayer blessing. Thanks to you all...

Starting Grace's LifeBook

Thinking now of starting a lifebook for Grace. It will be her story to share with her one day. This will be fun! It will include photos, mementos and other information about her and our journey to her. We will describe ourselves as her forever family!

We Need Your Help On A Project...

To welcome and celebrate a new life, there is a tradition in the northern part of China to make a Bai Jia Bei, or "100 Good Wishes Quilt." It is a custom to invite 100 people to contribute a single square patch of cloth. We will then take the 100 patches and sew them together into a quilt that contains the prayers for Grace from all her family and friends who contributed a piece of fabric. The quilt can then be passed down from generation to generation.

HERE IS WHAT WE WOULD LIKE YOU TO DO:

1. Choose any 100% cotton fabric that you like. It can be from a piece of old clothing or from a fabric store. It just needs to have a design and color that you like. After washing the material, cut two (2) 8" squares from the selected fabric(s). (ensure the fabric is washed first before you cut it)
2. On the prayer card, place a small piece of the fabric and your prayer for Grace. Please include your name and city/state and country if outside of the USA. The fabric square will be used to make a quilt, and the note (with the small bit of matching fabric) will be placed in a keepsake box/book which we will give to Grace when she is older.
IDEAS FOR SELECTING FABRIC SQUARES:

· Select a fabric that is meaningful to you or that, for some reason, causes you to think of our waiting daughter.
· 100% cotton fabric is best, as it washes and wears better.
· Ensure that you use permanent markers and/or paint

· If there are several members in your family, please feel free to send more than one good wish note and squares of fabric. In China, these quilts were originally made from the garments of family and friends, in order to surround the child with luck, warmth and good wishes.

IDEAS FOR PRAYER NOTE:
Well, what would you pray for our waiting daughter to have in her life? Some ideas are good health, perseverance, compassion and a sense of humor. Use your values as a guide for your prayer note. There are no right or wrong answers – let your personality, faith and values guide you! We asked you to be part of this project because we value your place in our lives! Keep in mind that Grace will not see your note until she is older.


It would be wonderful to receive the fabric and notes by March 31, 2009 so that the quilt can be completed before our new daughter comes home.
Thank you,

Guy and Dawn Fisher
1817 Park Grove Place
Concord, NC 28027
(here is our address to mail the quilt square back)

Update on Matches....

Just an update on matches since we transitioned our file over to the "Waiting Child Program". Our MCC (Medical Conditions Checklist) login date is 12/3/08. 2008 was a great year for the Waiting Child Program as they were able to report a total of 223 children placed in the arms of their loving families! 19 of these were matched in December, 2008. CCAI has matched 15 children this month. This is a total of 34 children in 2 months! We were told when we transitioned over to the waiting child program that there were about 200 families in front of us. So this is good progress. It means in 2 months we are down to about 166 families in front of us. That puts us like 10 more months or so away at this rate, knowing that there are many variables that go in to the match, how open the family is in terms of age and special need so it could be quicker or longer depending on how open we are compared to other families waiting and the children that come in to our agency.

The CCAA is closed this week in celebration of the Chinese New Year so next week's matches may be slower. Still we are proclaiming a match could occur for us based on current timelines THIS YEAR - yahoo!

Fingerprint Appointment Received! YAHOO!

Well what a pleasant surprise! Today we received our notice from USCIS of our fingerprint appointment. This was less than 1 week after we received notice they got our paperwork. So, we go for fingerprinting on February 17 - 3 more weeks! Yet one more hurdle we have jumped in the process. This one was quick...yes Lord....thank you!

Planning As I Wait...

The wait is such a hard part of this journey. Though as we begin to see a light at the end of the tunnel with hopefully having our little one home in about a year (hopefully end of this year - that is what we are proclaiming!) I can actually begin to think about things I can do this year to get ready for her coming home. This is going to be so much fun! I have held off on this up until now because every month as I watched the matches in the traditional program the timing of her coming home got farther away rather than closer. Now that we are part of the waiting child program I can see hope that the time with each passing day is closer and that is exciting! So this week I began to think of the things I can buy for her now (of course some will have to wait til we are matched so we know her age, size etc) but some stuff I can buy now - so I plan to begin sprinkling some of those buys throughout the year to make it real and yet not overwhelming and yes soon begin to get her bedroom and bathroom all setup and ready for her to come home to...I can hardly wait! Kelly are you ready to shop? This could be dangerous! Never been able to buy for girl before ...yahoo!

Snow Day

Today the kids had a fun day in the snow! Too bad it was melting by noon. We can't wait for Grace to join in the fun!

Receipt/Acknowlegement Notice Received

Today we got our receipt/acknowledgement notice from USCIS. This means they received our I-800A. Next we get our notice for our fingerprint appointment. One step closer....

Joined the Waiting Child Yahoo Group

Well I have joined the Waiting Child Yahoo Group which is a support group. It is comprised of other families that are awaiting match of their child with CCAI as well through the waiting child program. But oh my goodness is there a lot of email exchange..went out of town for the weekend came back and over 200 emails yikes! The families here share during their wait and keep each other updated on matches and travel etc which helps during the hardest part of it all...the wait!

Organization...Organization...Organization

Okay this week I have been working on organizing all the paperwork we have accumulated along this journey thus far. Since we transitioned over to the Waiting Child I have created a new binder with all our new information related to Parent Training, I-800A Immigration Paperwork, Home Study, Waiting Child Information and so on and so on. So my goal this week aggregate the last binder of information with this one as appropriate and get myself all organized. Yes I have two huge binders full of paper! You know me I can't think straight without it. And yes I have a list and yes it is highlighted...but only as I check off things I want/need to do. You see this way if I stay busy doing a little bit along the way then maybe it will make the wait a little less painful. So this week I chose to get organized.

Grace is Blessed with Her First Outfits by Her Aunt Kelly

Well talk about an overwhelming moment today. Kelly calls and tells me she had been to this boutique today and everything was on sale 60% off. Beautiful outfits that otherwise she could never afford. She said she got 3 adorable outfits for Lily and I needed to get over there. Well right now as much as I wanted to I could not justify spending the money though I didn't tell her that. Kelly has been blessed with adorable clothes for Lily from a Friend of hers that has been giving her some stuff from her last child. Grace bless her has nothing yet I thought but she will. Hmm, maybe I will go by there....

Next thing I know Kelly is pulling up in my driveway, about an hour or two later. She walks in with a gift bag crying. (Yes that is how the boutique packages their purchases) I said what is wrong? She said God said this weren't for Lily they were for Grace. We both set and cried. She said I tried to negotiate with God and asked if I could give you one outfit but he said no they weren't mine. She said I even tried to go home and ended up turning the wrong way which brought me here. She said then I thought Grace doesn't even have one outfit and I God has given me the opportunity to bless her, an honor right.

Now are these the most adorable clothes or what? Grace is going to look beautiful in them!

Thanks Kelly for listening to the Lord. I pray he blesses you 10x over for the blessing you were to Grace and I in your obedience. I will share this story with her as I dress her in them the first time and sure the memory will come to mind a bring a smile to our faces every time she puts one on. I love you!

Our Immigration Papers Are In The Mail...

Well as of 1/7/09 our immigration papers are in the mail. This means our homestudy has been updated and approved by our adoption agency, CCAI. It also means our I-800A and all other required documents are completed, copied, compiled and going out to USCIS in Chicago in the morning. Copies also go to our adoption agency in Colorado. So this puts us one step closer to Grace. This step was required before we could be matched. Now it is just God's perfect timing but we can officially be matched. YAHOO!

So what next, we should get our appointment for our updated fingerprints in about 2 months, so early March....

Now we just wait....