2 years, 6 months and 10 days

It's been 2 years and 6 months and 10 days that our lives were forever changed when we made the decision to raise a little girl as our very own. 2 years, 6 months and 10 days that we have been blessed to be called Mom and Dad to a beautiful girl. 2.5 years we have loved another little being as our very own. 2.5 years of bonding, millions of cuddles and kisses given, hundreds of books read and more giggles than can be counted. 

922.5 days of praying for her every single day. 922.5 days praying for the day we can become a legal family of five. 922.5 days that my boys have had a sister and that we have had a daughter. We've celebrated 3 Thanksgivings, 3 Christmases and 3 Easters as a family of 5. Wonderful memories made.

Watching tummy time turn into crawling turn into taking first steps. Watching first steps turn into racing around the yard chasing 2 brothers. Hearing first words turn into complete sentences and belting out lyrics to "Let it go." Watching independence set in with wanting to wear a Princess shirt daily. And witnessing the sweetest bond develop between 2 brothers and a little sis. Along with the silliness and laughter :). 

To say this waiting has been incredibly difficult is an understatement. 
To say this has drawn us closer to God than we have ever been is the truth. 
To say we have gone through significant ups and downs with our emotions would be honest. 
To say we will persevere through this waiting is 100% correct.
To say we can't imagine our life any other way is real. 
To say we are blessed is spot on. 

We don't know what the future holds. We do not know the potential day we may be able to pass through the storm of this specific unknown. We do not know the questions that will come up one day nor will we know exactly how to answer them. We do not know what tomorrow holds nor what the next hour may bring.

But what I DO know is that we serve a Mighty God who knows the future. We know that He hears our every single prayer and cry out to Him. We know that He does know the time of the passing of this unknown. He understands our frustrations and our anxiety of the unknown. He holds us up with His mighty right hand as stated in Isaiah 41:10 "So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."

We know that we don't need to worry about tomorrow because He has already taken care of tomorrow. Matthew 6:34 "Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." 

We know that God has never let us down and is not going to start now. We believe Jeremiah 29:11 "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." He has good plans for us. 

We believe Philippians 4:6 "Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God." We will continue to pray for wisdom, peace, patience and joy in this storm of the unknown. 

We will continue to be patient and press into God's promises for our future. We know there will always be hard days when worry sets in. But we do believe God will be there every step of the way. We are grateful for encouraging family and friends who surround us and pray for us. We will continue to trust in God's perfect plan in this.

Lovingly,

Jamie :)