Happy 5th Birthday Anna!

Anna's fifth birthday was Saturday.  Sadie was so excited about it, she colored that day all up on the calendar weeks before.  She and I stopped by a yard sale that morning and found a cute lady bug dance costume.  "We HAVE to get this for Anna!", she said.  She even made up a dance that she's going to teach her when she wears it.  So cute.  She's just a little excited.

It makes us so sad to think of what the fifth birthday means for most orphans in Eastern Europe who have special needs. It's basically a death sentence.  When they turn five, they have officially aged out of the baby house, and have to be transferred to institutions.  Only about 20% of these children live past their first year once they are sent there.  That's the terrible fate that would have been Anna's, if the orphanage authorities didn't have high hopes for her adoption within the next couple of years, before she ages out of the preschool house.  

We shy away from the word "save" because it sounds like we're trying to be superheroes or Mother Theresa or something.  But in reality, we are saving Tatiana from a horrific future on this earth.  I've seen pictures of kids in these institutions tied to their cribs, literally starving to death.  I don't know if it's that bad in the St. Petersburg area.  But that's what is happening, and if no one did anything to help, nothing would change. 

I've heard it said something like, "You can't save the world by adopting a child.  But you can save that child's world."   So true. 

Something tells us that she is going to make our world incredible at the same time.  

I will admit that there are moments when I want to give up on all this.  Satan gets in there and makes me feel stupid for wanting to go against the grain and do something that frankly makes some people uncomfortable.

But here's what keeps us moving forward:

It's about HER. Not us.

We have felt what I can only describe as a "force" leading us through this process, from the moment we started thinking about it last year. All along, I've been thinking, "This doesn't make logical sense.  Everything imaginable tells us we aren't the kind of family that should adopt."  But at the same time, everything in our hearts says, "DO IT...NOW!"  I have no doubts that there are angels behind all this. Anna means so much to her Heavenly Father.  We are willing to be the difference in her life, and we have been told time and time and time again that the Lord is pleased with this. (Believe me, I've asked many times.)

I can testify that when we use our gifts to be "the Lord's hands" in the ways that He directs us... DESPITE OUR FEARS...even when it's uncomfortable... miracles happen. I think it's a miracle in itself that we are excited about our future with a special needs child and eventually adult.  The things that scare most people away make us excited!  Is that not a miracle?

Another miracle is that Jeremy's Landscape Architecture firm has made an amazing comeback after a poor year.  Last year, we were wondering how we were going to keep paying the bills. We were living on our savings and food storage for a couple months. As soon as we sent our first big check in for this adoption, the work started flowing in.  He has lots of work now.  The amount of increase that has taken place in the past 6 months is nothing short of a miracle. 

An interesting side note: Some years ago Jeremy told me that he thought it would be great to have a child with Down Sydrome.   He mentioned that as long as there aren't big health issues, he didn't think it would be hard at all.  I remember thinking, "Yikes, don't say that!  Now we're going to be sent one, and I don't think I'm cut out for that like you are!"  It's so interesting how things evolve.

So...back to Anna's birthday.  (Sorry, I got off on a little tangent there.) We decided that since no one is going to celebrate Anna's birthday with her, we would do it for her, and hope she feels our vibes. :) We all blew the candles out together, since the kids were fighting over who would get to do it. (Cheesy picture, I know.)  

Happy Birthday, Anna!  We can't wait to show you what birthdays are all about, and teach you about love and families. They are awesome! And so are you.