It came today! Basically PA (pre-approval) is CCAA officially matching us with our precious son. They recoginze our petition to adopt him, and based on the information contained in our LOI, they agree that we can proceed.

My dad needs our prayers this week

Celebrate, good times!

We opted out of the football game to celebrate our DTC status and here's the result ...I'm so dainty ...

... or not!

I'm not sure what we celebrated, but it was a good plan!

DTC!

We just received word that our dossier is authenticated and on its way to China. We are officially DTC (dossier to China)! Now we wait for an LID (log in date), which can take anywhere from 5 to 30 days. Our LID determines when our official countdown begins.
I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry. Psa 40:1

Surprise!

Imagine our surprise as we walked into church as usual last night and waiting for us was the kaddy of my dreams! It's a double jogging stroller from Kidz Kargo. Now Kambry and Kaeleb can ride in style, and Mom can get some exercise. I had put my name on a "wish list" for a second hand stroller at Children's Orchard, thrilled at the prospect of getting one for a decent price, when apparently my plotting friends made other plans :) And I have to share the touching words in the card ...
"Believing with you ~ in the wisdom of His ways, in the goodness of His love, and in the assurance of His presence as He keeps you every step of the way."
Those words speak volumes to me as I realize we are not on this journey alone. Anyone who has been down the path of adoption knows the journey is unpredictable, challenging, emotional and draining in many respects. I praise the Lord for so many friends who "get it" and are willing to hold our hands as we walk through the fire, ready to embrace us on the other side. If you are an adoptive parent, whether waiting or blessed to have completed the journey, I give you my biggest cyber hug ! And if you know someone who is riding the adoption roller coaster, please give them a hug today! Thank you, dear friends, for blessing our family in so many ways. May you be blessed in return.
..."I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me." Mat 25:40

Trash or treasure?

Oh, the treasures in our trash! Mom's secret is out ... the key to getting over that midday slump ~ Diet Mountain Dew!

If I do this ...

... then I can do this!

And speaking of treasures, Kambry has learned to give kisses. It's adorable! Pucker up, Sis!

I sought the LORD, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears. Psa 34:4

What a difference a day (or two) makes ...

So what do you do when you've built your home to accommodate the 3 children God has blessed you with ... and then He blesses you with 3 more (oh, and adding on is out of the question because of adoption costs)? Improvise! We've repainted, removed clutter and rearranged. Painting is NOT my kind of project, especially 3 rooms in 3 days, but when I set my mind to do something, I tend to finish it. Of course, this means everything else went by the wayside, including the obligatory 4 loads of laundry per day, so today is catch-up, but look at the kids' "new" rooms!

This was Kolton's room, and now it's Kenzie's room
Before















This was Kuyler's "OU" room (don't worry, son, you still have a place to sleep when you come home from college!). Now it's Kolton (and Kaeleb's) room.
Before
















And this was Kenzie and Kayden's room. Now it's Kayden and Kambry's room, which means the crib is out of our room. Daddy added the extra touch of ladybugs on the walls :)
Before














After
As for our adoption process, we really expect to receive our PA this week, and be DTC! Maybe then we can just chillax this weekend!

Nearly official!

Today we filed Miss Kambry Hope's Petition for Adoption with the Court. See, even though adoptions are final when both parents travel to China, we must re-finalize within our state to legally change the child's name and acquire a US birth certificate or Certificate of Foreign Birth, showing us as her parents (so cool!). The law in our state requires she reside here six months before filing the Petition. So within the next few weeks we'll have the hearing and the Court will issue the Decree of Adoption. She's a Johnson through and through, but this will make it official!

While we wait for PA ...

... I just need to ramble (imagine that :) I continue to receive emails and comments from people who saw our Kaeleb on the WC list and prayed that his Forever Family would find him. It warms my heart to know God has honored the intercession of so many in uniting us with our sweet boy! To those who have prayed for our son, thank you! Every time you email us, it brings us to tears (of joy!). Even with all God has done and continues to do, it still amazes me that He has orchestrated every step of this journey to bring Kaeleb home ... from the way we "found" him, to a miracle in his referral paperwork, to God's abundant provision. Even in the waiting, He is blessing us. And to those mommies and daddies waiting on your Foshan NanHai sweeties, we plan to return the favor and pray over each one of them when we travel!

Totally off the subject ...

Thank you, LP, for the awesome sign!

Yes, that is a 'fountain' in Kambry's hair! We'll see how long that lasts.

How much can we do in one week?

What a week this has been! We gathered, priced and organized items for our garage sale Wednesday and Thursday, opened the sale Friday morning, watched high school football Friday night, hosted a 5th quarter, reopened the sale Saturday morning, tore it down and hauled off the leftovers, attended a Moon Festival party, then church and a birthday party Sunday.

We're exhausted.
Kayden and Kambry fell asleep during the 5th Quarter. The garage sale exceeded our expectations! We are so grateful to all who have invested so much into bringing our little guy home. Many of our church family donated items, have prayed for and encouraged us. And my hat's off to AM and LS for the countless hours you spent putting this thing together, loading, unloading, pricing, folding, sorting and on and on! Even though we've faced some obstacles, each one has been overcome and followed by God's provision and affirmation. We can't wait to see what He's going to do next ... maybe bring our PA this week???

Here are a few random shots from the week.

My sweet girls

Picking flowers for Mom

Spirit week and next fundraiser

Last week was Spirit Week, and the kids participated with enthusiasm!Even the Wookie (Kambry)!



How can we lose with a cheering section like that :)
Now we're preparing for our next fundraiser. We're having a 2-day garage sale October 12 and 13. We've got tons of donated items, it's in a great location, and we're prepared to work hard. I praise the Lord for our dear friends who are putting the project together!

It's been a week!

This has been one of those emotionally charged, roller coaster, adoption related weeks! I'm happy to say it's nearly over, and I think we've made progress. It's the kind of week that I find it easy to lose perspective. Fortunately, I know where to regain it. And this passage is just what I needed today:

Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. James 1:2-3

Gotta love that James! I also regain my perspective in moments like these:

and these:
and these:
I am reminded this week that the good things in this life don't usually come easily. These "paper pregnancies" are at the top of my list right now. But it's so worth it all. This day started out on a very depressing note with the thought we might add 2 more months to our wait, but I attribute the positive outcome to the prayers of faithful friends. By next Tuesday we should have our notarized home study in hand and on its way to our agency for the authentication process. Then we'll be DTC (dossier to China) and wait for LID (log in date), and the countdown to LOA (letter of acceptance) begins. The wait is anywhere from 69 to 150 days. Then we'll wait for TA (travel approval), usually 14-45 days, then CA (consulate appointment) and leave for China! I am so ready for an update and new photos of my precious boy.

This pretty much says it all

This is the kids' cross country shirt. We moms think this is emblazoned on our hearts as our motto :)

Seriously need more pictures ...

...because I've been as creative as my brain will allow with these three.

The Big Bros and Sisses

Here are Kaeleb's sweet big brothers and sisters. Man, are we blessed!

K1, K2, K3, K4, K5...

Ladybugs and Lasagna!

What do you get when you take ladybugs, add 8 large pans of lasagna, 9 pounds of salad, 5 pans of cobbler, 6 pounds of corn and 10 loaves of bread? An awesome fundraiser!

Daddy slices the bread.

Mommy makes the tea. Build it and they will come ...
... and we're so grateful they did!
Even Kambry enjoyed the fellowship!Hmmm, so Daddy does know how run a vacuum!
I wish we had pictures of the kiddos helping out. They really pitched in like troopers, and we're so proud of them. We are so blessed to have such an awesome church family. Their prayers and support make this journey so much smoother. So that's what you get when you mix ladybugs and lasagna :)

Treasures from another mommy

I recently joined the Yahoo group for Kaeleb's orphanage and have been encouraged that so many of the adoptive parents are able to visit when traveling to receive their children. And most of the parents are able to photograph the children in the SWI, especially at the request of their waiting parents. Some people have prayed over each child, including one mommy who traveled in June. I don't need to describe her reaction to our Kaeleb, as her words say it all. I continue to praise God for the relationships He's given us through the adoption journey. We have received messages from two people who tell us Kaeleb has a laugh that is contagious. Oh, how that makes my mommy's heart dance. Now, the words from a sweet mommy:

You don't know how many times I have thought of him since our visit. I wasn't sure if he was a boy or girl (with the hair and clothing you just can't tell) but I thought it was a "he". He has the most precious laugh that just rolls...just one little chuckle after another that is contagious. His eyes are bright and captivating. I was really smitten with him. He would just hold my hand and not let me go. I played with him for a long time and would have snatched him up in a minute if I could. I am soooooo happy that he now has a family. He was one of the faces that I just could not forget...one of the babies that laid heavy on my heart. I am thrilled!

Adoption Decal

We love our international adoption decals, and they are for sale to help raise funds to bring Kaeleb home. They are only $5 each, which includes S&H. Please email me or leave a comment if you're interested. Thank you!