A Little Vacay with my Hubby

Matt and I were able to get away for almost a week, just the 2 of us.  Planning these trips is stressful; we're packing for us, packing for Ava and Riley, missing them before we are even apart, wondering how Ava will do without us, and the dreaded drop off.  We are beyond blessed to have grandparents fighting for one on one time with Ava (and Riley as they are a package deal now ;)).  But it is still so difficult to leave her...thank God we are able to leave her with grandparents.  No matter how much work it takes and how hard it is to say "see ya later", Matt and I committed to each other long before we were parents that we would always make time for each other.  We value the relationship we have established too much to not work to keep it strong.  Because the truth is, one of the these days it will be just Matt and I again at home and I don't want to be staring at a stranger across the table.  I want that person to still be my best friend.

We had a blast in Charleston, SC...a place I have always wanted to go.  I really think that if I would have lived in a different time period it would have been the old southern, big dresses, horse and carriage era.  Matt loves history and appreciating what we've come from (I enjoy Matt then filling me in on the highlights that I need to know).  Charleston is full of charm and history so it was a win, win for us.  We enjoyed our days together just meandering around, getting lost in the historic district.  A highlight of the trip was swimming with dolphins in the waves at Folly Beach.  We also loved the food from fresh fish and seafood to delicious southern cooking.  We always feel rejuvenated as a couple after some great one on one time.  So thankful to have him by my side through life.  So thankful he values our relationship as a couple so much that he puts time and effort into maintaining it.  

Meet Riley

Riley joined our family in May and what a perfect fit he is!  He is a clumsy puppy who makes us laugh daily!  He loves his family and already knows exactly who his family is.  He LOVES Ava most of all! He is protective of her but also just loves being right next to her. Ava is mostly okay with this but has quickly learned the phrase, "back off, Riley!"  They are going to be best buddies. 

Riley is now 9 months old, 38 pounds, and all hound dog...isn't he a handsome boy?!!

Our Dossier Finally Made it to China

I know I have been quiet regarding our adoption process this go around and honestly that is because things have been very difficult over the last few months.  Many of the things that came up prior to us making the unbelievably hard decision to halt the adoption are private, but also we still don't have a lot of answers regarding the situation.  We are so thankful to Holt for helping us to get the information we could and have been very supportive through all the issues. 

Ru still has a huge part of our hearts. We think about him, pray for him, pray for a miracle, and shed tears over the situation on a daily basis. Through many conversations with friends who know us well, we feel that the best way to describe our pain is to describe a miscarriage. He was our son, we love him, we think of him and wonder "what if", and he will always be a part of our hearts and souls. 

The dossier processing has also been a struggle this go around having several documents notarized incorrectly...one of those documents taking 3 times to be done correctly!  So frustrating and tested my patience big time!  The good news is that our dossier is now certified and authenticated and in China. Thank you Lord!  

Even though many doors have been closed at this time, we have peace to press on.  Trusting that when God does open the door we are meant to walk through that all this other heartache will make sense in some way. We KNOW that we have a child out there and that when we finally meet it will literally be a match made in Heaven.