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05.09.2013

On our sweet boy’s BIRTHDAY in China…we got the phone call–that we have travel approval!!! Yep! At 12:01pm it was 12:01am in China–and officially our son’s birthday. Around 3:30pm, we got the news we got our Travel Approval!! We are requesting the first available CA with our agency–which will have us leaving on May 30th and returning home on June 13th! We are so excited, thankful and in awe at God’s most perfect timing. I love that it came on his birthday in China!!! He was delivered a BIRTHDAY PARTY today by Red Threads services…and I can’t wait to see pictures when they send them of our little man and his friends celebrating today.

Today–was a good day! God is good! His timing is perfect. He’s never too late–not a minute late…always on time. Only He could write this story–and I am just humbled…so humbled…to be a part of it!

Happy birthday Zeke! We love you! Mommy and daddy can’t WAIT to hold you…very, very soon!

xoxo!!!!!

Momma to Zeke, Isaac, Frank, Laney and Parker!
SO BLESSED!

AND in celebration of MOTHER’S DAY THIS WEEKEND…here’s something to share with your favorite mommas! (pause the music up top before watching!)

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LaKasha - May 9, 2013 - 9:05 pm

We got the call today as well!! We are celebrating tonight together!! We should hear back tomorrow around 10 am she said. I can’t wait to let you know and see if it is God’s plan for us to have the same apt dates. God’s is good and all is perfect!

Leese - May 9, 2013 - 10:14 pm

Yay, yay, yay! Love that God gave YOU guys such a neat gift of getting TA on his birthday! How special 🙂

Praying as the remaining details come together and you get ready to go…soon!!!!

Gretchen - May 9, 2013 - 11:39 pm

Congratulations! So happy for you! I love to be able to put things on the calendar and start planning! Especially something as big and wonderful as bringing Zeke home!

Jennifer Pighini - May 10, 2013 - 6:09 am

So excited for you! It is amazing to see how God answers prayers and how His timing is always perfect.

jenny - May 10, 2013 - 10:53 am

SOOOO amazing!! Wonderful news! Praising God with you!!

Cupcakes for my little Cupcake! {Officially over 2 weeks waiting on TA!}

05.09.2013

Just ONE more day until this little cupcake turns TWO!…

While I wish my little cupcake was in my arms this week–I have to admit I have some of the sweetest friends EVER to celebrate him with me! So…here are some cupcakes in celebration of my little man’s life!

From my friend Meggan in Texas…

From my friend Stephanie in Illinois…

From my friend Jen’s kids…SWEET PRINCESS I took pictures of her when she was a NEWBORN!!! So big and beautiful! (Thank you sweet princess for celebrating my Zeke baby!

And her sweet little sister…

Seriously–could they be ANY cuter?!

From my C4C and AGCI momma friend Amber in Illinois…

And one of my dearest friends Angie’s kids made a video of her kids singing happy birthday and eating donuts I’ll have to get my hands on to share too!

And on FRIDAY–we will be eating our cupcakes. BECAUSE SERIOUSLY…

Thank you friends for thinking of my Zeke baby and loving on him by remembering him and celebrating his birthday with us this week!!! I am about to POP to travel and can’t wait to have belated birthday cupcakes with him soon! We are now over TWO WEEKS waiting on our TA…so we can really get the “book your flights” call ANYYYYYY day!!! We are SO close–and momma is SO ready. I will confess–this part feels like the hardest part of the wait so far. I sat and had a good momma cry last night. You get this close and you are just READY. Yet–I feel such a peace that we are RIGHT where are supposed to be in the wait. I know His plans are perfect–and I can trust in Him for every last detail. I hope to be posting very soon our news…and will be posting the MINUTE we hear!!!

And on a completely different note. I’ve been thinking lately about how we are to walk as brothers and sisters in Christ. I came across this scripture tonight as I was thinking about this and just wanted to share some of Ephesians 5.

Walk in Love

Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God

But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints. Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving. For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.

Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.

Therefore do not become partners with them; for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord.

Walk as children of light(for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord.

Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. For it is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secret. But when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible, for anything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says,

“Awake, O sleeper,
and arise from the dead,
and Christ will shine on you.”

Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.

AND THIS…

Philippians 4…

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!

Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.

This is such goodness and truth. Such encouragement on how to live as brothers and sisters in Christ. Help me Lord to live this way!!! So thankful for my sweet friends the Lord has brought into my life who press me so sweetly and tenderly closer to Jesus. Thank you to you sweet friends for praying for us and for our little Zeke. May you know Him deeper and run fast and hard toward Him!!

Your sister in Christ,

Andrea!

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His birthday week… {God’s Never Too Late}

05.05.2013

I wanted to be there this week. So much on the birthday of my sweet boy. The day we first his picture–this is the week I started praying that we would miraculously be there. This Friday–our little man will turn two. And oh how this mommy wants to be there!

This week…I am remembering something very important that I want you, Zeke, and all my children to forever hold onto. God is never late. He is always on time. Always.

There will be times–even now…when it feels like He is…much too late. (It feels a bit like that to this mommy heart right now–but I have a PEACE this this is still–STILL–perfect timing.) Over and over again His timing is perfect…you will see this in your lives sweet children of mine. And again–I trust in His perfect timing. Just 7 months ago we saw Zeke’s picture for the first time–and the Lord has moved mountains to bring us where we are preparing to travel to meet you for the first time. Seriously–just 7 months and here we are waiting for a phone call to travel! God’s timing is not only perfect–but it is steadfast and pretty amazing. Even when our hearts want more–we can step back (to be there now), we can step back and see His perfect and miraculous hand writing a pretty amazing story to be told over and over again of His great love for us and our children…

This week…sweet Zeke, you are very much remembered!!! We are celebrating you and your sweet life EVERY day this week!!! Both sides of the world will be celebrating YOU. Ann through Red Threads is putting together a little something this week and making sure you have a sweet birthday with all your friends at the orphanage. On Friday we have a little delivery coming your way for you and your friends. Cake, LOTS of lollipops, a letter read to you from us and a camera to document the day–LOTS of pictures will be taken that we will be able to put in a special book to see this day that we very much wanted to be there for and to actually be present in the pictures too. I wish I could rewind time the last two years and be there for every milestone, every moment–and I will forever be thankful to the special mothers at Half the Sky who have loved you big for us the last 2 years of your precious life. You are kind of a big deal to us–and this week, despite us not being there in person, you will very much be celebrated.

On THIS side of the world–there will be cupcakes…and singing after dinner time as a family on Friday…and pictures also taken to show you one day…reminders of just how very much WE LOVE YOU.

Mommy is declaring this week CUPCAKE week for you little man!!! (So if any of my friends and family and those praying alongside us this past year are reading this and you would like to celebrate Zeke with us–you now have an excuse to eat a cupcake THIS week to celebrate our sweet boy!! If you celebrate with a cupcake this week for Zeke’s special day–will you please email me or text a picture to andreapierceyoung@gmail.com for us to share? And when you eat your cupcake–will you please say a prayer for our sweet boy and for his precious life, his transition to come, and for us to quickly get to be with him? Okay–I totally had to throw that last part in because I can’t help but wanting our travel to quickly get here!!) I just got THIS sweet picture from my FB momma friend in Texas – Meggan! Thank you Meggan for celebrating our Zeke with us and remembering him on his special birthday week! What a treasure to know that others are waiting and praying alongside us! Thank you!!!

Eat a guilt free yummy cupcake in honor of our sweet boy this week! (You have a great excuse–and full permission from me to even eat one every day:)! You are loved so much little man!!! And we can’t WAIT to hold you in just a few weeks! HAPPY 2nd BIRTHDAY!!!

Whatever you are waiting on in your own life–trust Him in the timing, wait on Him with expectation–and get ready to celebrate His goodness…because our God is never too late–He is truly always on time!

XOXO!!!!

Mommy

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Meggan - May 5, 2013 - 4:31 pm

So excited for Friday! My hubs and I are leaving the baby for the first time and going on an overnighter. My plan is to take him to sprinkles and celebrate Zeke! Praying for a memory filled week.

Elizabeth - May 6, 2013 - 11:34 am

Thank You! My husband and I are currently waiting for a call from our expectant mom to tell us to make our way down to ATL this week for the birth of our son. We are dying for the phone to ring. So thank you for reminding us about God’s perfect timing:)

Trusting God in the Unknowns {this is faith…and faith–is…HARD}

05.01.2013

I walked in this morning with a lump in my throat.

And I walked out with it still there.

This has been the preschool I walked Parker into at just 18 months old–certain that he just *had* to get in this preschool. And after he did–that first day…I sat in the parking lot–and cried.

I also cried after his first Parent/Teacher conference when they told me he didn’t sit during circle time. Why doesn’t MY child sit? Is he going to be okay? Did I do something wrong? And now…7 years and nearly 4 children later–these first “conferences” are joy to my heart…and I understand now–that every child is different. So special. And now–if a teacher were to tell me my 18 month old didn’t sit during circle time–I would probably laugh…and ask, “Must they sit? Why would you want them to sit? HOW do you get them to sit? Would YOU want to sit and listen to that story? Or worse yet…if you were wearing a gel packed diaper–would you want to sit in it? Can you blame him?”

I’ve lived many memories at that preschool–and today was one of them. But my heart felt it was packing them up…and as I watched him I embraced the moment…listening to him sing sweet words of His Father’s love and I breathed slowly–wanting it to last forever…

We are in a trust season of walking by faith…learning what it means to just take one step forward in a world surrounding by unknowns. It’s an uncomfortable place to find yourself–and my children do it so much more beautifully than me. Recently, my husband changed platforms and a potential move is in our future. The timing to me…feels so wrong crazy. We wait to get a travel date to bring home our son. Will it be 3 weeks or 6 weeks? Will our house really go on the market in a couple of weeks? What will we do if it sells while we are gone? Where will we live? During this transition–this important time for bonding…Lord will you carefully watch over us and guide us? Summer camps–where oh where will we even be? In the midst of unknowns…not knowing when our next child will come home, what any of this will be like…not knowing about a possible move…not being able to plan one inch of summer—and just taking one day at a time…living in TODAY…and trusting Him in the details.

Matthew 6:25-34 – English Standard Version (ESV) – Do Not Be Anxious

25 “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? 28 And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, 29 yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

34 “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

I keep sensing the Father’s words to me, “Do not worry. Trust me.”

And this is faith.

Faith means to release the worry–to EXHALE–and simply say, “Lord, among all the unknowns–I just trust You. This is the only thing I do know–I trust You.”

It’s okay to begin to process the changes you see on the horizon. It’s okay to be sad. It’s okay to want things to be different or to even miss what might have been. Sitting there watching Isaac sing…on the same stairs that Parker, Laney and Frank have…wanting our Zeke to share the same memories…to be surrounded by others who walked this year with us. It’s okay to be scared among the faith and to confess that to Him. I sat there thinking about Zeke singing one day…being in a new place–a different place…would we find community, friends…would the memories be as sweet? We all have unknowns, and although they all look different–they are no less worrisome. Yet the Lord tells us in His word not to worry about tomorrow–and to trust in His provision. He tells us to simply focus on the NOW–on today…and to live in it. He wants us to know that He has got this. He loves us. He sees us. We are not forgotten. If He clothes the lilies of the field and the birds of the air–how much more will He care for you…His child?!

Help me Lord to not live in the past nor the future–but just in today. Help me Lord to trust You and Your plans for my life and the lives of those in my family. Help me Lord to bring honor to you in this living by faith. I know I could stomp my feet and demand things not to change…and I just might actually get my way…but it is not my way that I really want—well…I kind of want my way…but with a beating heart, a lump in my throat and shaking knees…and a tear rolling down my cheek…I give my way to You Lord. Your way is better. It always is. Help us to trust You in the changes, in the unknowns and in Your perfect, beautiful and wonderful plan. No matter how beautiful change is–change is always hard. Give us courage Lord to trust You in it!

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Amy - May 1, 2013 - 10:24 pm

I so understand. We had a two week window to move and it just so happened to fall as my daughter and I were leaving for a mission trip to Africa and hubby was wrapping up his school year as a teacher. Prayers for you during this time 🙂
amy

SleepyMom - May 2, 2013 - 12:33 pm

Moving and being in limbo about moving is so very difficult – we have been there all too many times.
My immediate thought for you was – what a blessing this is coming now as you are finishing an adoption and not right in the middle when you might have had to redo your homestudy and paperwork or stop your adoption. God’s timing has a way of being amazing and I’m sure it will be this time as well. Just trust Him even when it seems like logistically there’s no way things can work out. It may be hard but He will get you through and I bet something amazing is waiting for you at the end of this particular journey.

Jessica - May 2, 2013 - 12:52 pm

Tears are rolling down my face. SO timely for my heart. I literally was just praying for peace and crying to God about the timing of bringing home our little boy. He is waiting for us in The Congo! Thank you for sharing this.

Our Wait for TA (Travel Approval) has begun!

04.26.2013

YAYYYYY! I got to update our TIMELINE yesterday! Our Article 5 was picked up and is making it’s way to Beijing to the CCCWA!!! NOW…we just wait patiently for our travel approval! Once we get TA–we will have to wait a couple of days to get our actual CA (consulate appointment). THEN–we will be able to BOOK FLIGHTS! We will travel about 2 weeks prior to our consulate appointment! Still praying I can touch my toe on China soil in May…EVEN if its the very end of May! So ready to have our sweet boy in our arms!!!

This is the most recent video of our sweet boy! It was taken in February just TWO months ago. So his hair has grown out a bit…and he is completely AMAZED at this pen:). He will be 2 years old in just 2 weeks!!! Can you HEAR him say MAMA??!!! They have been working on him saying this…and I think he’s got it down! So proud of you sweet boy! You have an English word down…and momma has been sharpening up on her Mandarin for you!!! Praying it’s just a month away!!!

Our sweet Zeke…

OFFICIALLY WAITING ON TRAVEL APPROVAL!!!! YIPPY!

And can you just SEE how LOVED he is by all the special mothers!!!??? With so many of the children now in foster care from this orphanage, I think he has about 5 special mothers ALL to himself! He has been so well loved–(and well dressed in that fancy royal blue frock!). He is very cautious and quiet…and just sweet as can BE!

Y’all pray for MAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My cup overflows,

Andrea

Funny Food for Thought

So…yesterday I took a friend a meal (AFTER I had forgotten my sign up day the day before…cause I’m crazy like that!) I was thinking about the funny on meal prep for after a baby comes home. And how TRUE is this?!?!?

On meals after a new baby…

When you have your first–you actually think you desperately NEED help with meals.

When you have your 2nd–you are SO THANKFUL for meals because it means you don’t HAVE to cook.

When you have your 3rd–you want to kiss the people bringing you meals because you have a few weeks of not having to push TWO carts to get get through the grocery store (one full of babies…the other full of food)

When you have a 4th–you tell everyone YOU’VE GOT THIS, you don’t need meals this time, but you appreciate the thoughts and prayers! AKA: You know there is NO way you can return the favor and you don’t want anyone opening your front door…it’s just safer that way.

And when you bring home your 5th home…HMMM…what happens THEN? I’m thinking you don’t even have any friends any more because no one wants to hang out with your crazy family any more anyway! Hahahaha!!!!

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Kim - April 26, 2013 - 11:04 pm

Congrats!!! How exciting to know you’re getting so close 🙂

Maureen - April 27, 2013 - 12:41 am

So excited for you! He is adorable!

And about those meals…

When you bring home your 5th most will stay away, because they are sure that what you have is catching! But your true friends will still come bearing meals and other goodies!

When you bring home your 6th & 7th (Yes, twins!) Everyone comes because they can’t resist sweet baby twins! Oh and they call in pizza for you because now you have sooo many mouths to feed!

It’s all good! I’m in Kansas so I’ll call the pizza in for you!

Maureen

Candy - April 27, 2013 - 10:59 am

OH!! Isn’t he the most precious, adorable little guy! I loved hearing all of his “Mama’s” there so excitedly talking to him! I think they are so happy that he is being adopted,