On the journey...AGAIN!

I cannot believe I am sitting here writing about adopting again.  If you had asked me two years ago if we would have a fourth child, I would have said "no way!"  But, here we are, on our way to being a family of six!
I've said before that I don't like to write and I was honestly tempted not to blog this time around.  However, a few weeks ago, the kids and I sat down and took a stroll down memory lane via the blog and I though "How can I NOT write!"  In fact, I wish that I had written more about Colin and Owen's first days as well.  They grow so fast and parenting perspectives change daily.  It is fun to see how we are all learning and growing together. 
So when did "No Way" become "Absolutely?"  I am not sure exactly and I don't think Chris is either.  It was certainly me who initially brought up the idea.  I think when you talk to adoptive parents it typically is the mom who has the urge first.  That urge first hit me after we moved and began attending a new church. Some things in me that had been stagnant began to awaken.  The sense of peace and overwhelming love from our Father started to soften me.  I started to feel a new passion for God's word and his commands-one of the most direct being to care for orphans.  The initial "crazy" idea in me grew and grew until I could no longer ignore it.  I didn't want any more children, but there were children who certianly needed parents.  I wanted to renovate our new home, not spend every dime we had (and some dimes we DIDN'T have) on bringing another child into our home.  Despite all of my logical and selfish reasons why it was a bad idea, I couldn't shake the urge that had been placed in me.  I finally brought up the idea to Chris.  With all the love he could muster up, he laughed and said "You have got to be kidding me!"  However, being the wonderful man he is, Chris agreed to pray about it to see if God would warm his heart to the idea.  After months of prayer, Chris came to me and said "While my heart hasn't warmed, I know that when we married, we became one flesh.  So if you are called to adopt, then so am I."  Does he rock or what?!
Once we decided we would consider this journey again, we began looking at websites for adoption agencies that our adoptive friends' had used in the past.  Some of the faces of waiting children were listed on the sites.  Looking at so many faces of children waiting for forever families is one of the most heart-wrenching things we have ever done.  We wanted to give every single one of them a family!  We had to pray for guidance so that God's heart, not ours, would lead us to our child.
That same evening, Chris saw a face that melted his heart.  He said "Let's get some more information about her."  One phone call led to another.  We met a specialist about her medical condition.  We prayed, we talked, we hoped.  After a few weeks, we submitted our Letter of Intent (LOI) to adopt this little girl.  On February 1, 2014 we received our Provisional Approval (PA.)  We were on the road to being this little angel's forever family!