Hard News

As of last night, we were scheduled to get Grace in June or July. We have been planning, prepping, making packing lists, checking in to visas, and most importantly, trying to prep Grant.

But, then, this morning, bad news hit. Thanks to the swine flu, China is halting international adoptions until the scare ends. SARS halted adoptions for five months, which, should the current scare follow the same path, would have us getting Grace in September or October.

We're trying to have perspective, to recognize that God has a plan and a time (and a specific baby girl), but right now, today, it's just hard. We're bummed. It looks like it might take over four years of "pregnancy" to bring Gracie home. I think people think it must be easy to wait, as we're not physically pregnant, but there is no end to our love for Gracie, and we have loved her, just as we would a bio baby, from the moment we knew she was a reality. This isn't easy for us, but we believe that our good God will deliver us a good gift in Gracie Hawkins, and she will be the child we were meant to raise.

Bret just thinks that God is sparing me the really hot temps that July would have offered. I think God just wants me to have to endure several more months with that blasted personal trainer.

Either way, Grace will sure be a sight for sore eyes when she comes.