Our Journey to Carson

Some Thoughts About Timing...

Anyone who knows us...or has any inkling of the trials and tribulations of adoption...knows that, at one time or another, the wait has gotten unbearable. We like to think we know when things should happen in life, when in reality it is really not up to us to decide! Consider the following things about the timing of our trip to China:

...Kevin and I got engaged on November 29th (MANY years ago) and got married on April 29th (MANY years ago). We received our LOA on August 29th and Gotcha Day will be October 29th. (Should 29 be our new lucky number??)

...Originally, my plan was to drop out of my Bachelor's program for one quarter, with the intent to rejoin my class in January and make up the missed quarter online. However, our trip to China will straddle two quarters...I'll miss the last class of this quarter and the first class of the next quarter, which is allowable...so I won't need to drop out at all! This is a HUGE relief for me as I was dreading the challenge of going back to work in January while at the same time taking two classes at once (one online and one on campus) AND trying to help Carson adjust to daycare.

...Airfares to China dropped dramatically during the two week period that we were looking for flights and scheduling our trip. From what I hear, they're going back up soon (or might have already). We ended up getting GREAT deals on our airfares!

...Working at a hospital, I accrue two kinds of leave, Paid Time Off (PTO) and Extended Illness Bank (EIB). Since this new addition to our family is adopted, I had to earn the PTO to take a maternity leave (maternity leave for a birth can use time accrued in the EIB, maternity leave for an adoption cannot). I finally accrued the PTO I need for a 12-week maternity leave...on today's paycheck! (I cut that a little close, huh?!)

...My maternity leave will now allow me to be off work for the Thanksgiving and Christmas seasons...what a wonderful gift to avoid the hustle and bustle of the holidays!! (Which one of us hasn't wished for a break from work during the holidays?!)

...The day we leave, October 26th, is the last day of Meggie's first quarter of high school. That means she will miss the first two weeks of her next quarter and have plenty of time to get caught up before mid-terms. Also, she was able to really "get her feet wet" in high school before undergoing the huge change from being an only child to being a big sister!

Lots of people SAY that things happen in God's perfect timing, but really we just want things to be done in OUR perfect timing. Of course, I would have left months ago to get Carson if that was allowed...but it's hard to argue with the fact that God's timing in this whole thing has worked out perfectly! I just have to keep praying that God will continue to keep Carson safe until we get there...and also that He is helping to prepare all of our hearts for the upcoming transitions.

Twenty-one more days 'til we leave...