Happy 2nd Birthday to our little surprise package- Joanna Faith Wright!

 Happy 2nd Birthday Joanna Faith Wright!!!!  My baby girl I guarantee you had us wrapped around your finger since we said YES- this is our baby girl!!!!  Our hearts were YOURS and still are FOREVER!!!  Your story still amazes me, and I am still in awe of how God planned to put you in our family.  It is a story ONLY God could write!  Too crazy for a tv show!  Too nuts to try to explain........

 But you can start reading about it here!!!! 

 And keep reading this crazy story here and see pictures too!!!

 And it keeps unraveling in our blog here!!

 Ahhh....but that is not all- you have to go here too!!!  See told you God is blowing us away with HIS STORY!!!

 And finally here!!!!  Oh my....just when you thought it couldn't get any better- IT DOES!!!

 I mean.....I just can't fathom this BEAUTIFUL MIRACLE not being here!!!!!

 Her crazy attitude. 

 And although I would love to say.....this was her story and that is that.....it isn't.  You see before this joyous occasion.....before this miracle entered our lives.......there was another story.  It is a story of deep sorrow.  A story that rips the heart physically out of you.  You see.....we waited the 9 months that was required by All God's Children International after we brought our Jonathan home from Ethiopia, and turned in our preapplication immediately!  We were matched with a beautiful baby girl on the waiting list!  We LOVED HER- our Naomi Caroline!!!  We raced through the rest of everything!!!!  We went to England to visit Jason's family with our other 7 kiddos- had fun together, and awaited news that we would pass court in Ethiopia. 

Then we got a letter from US*CIS saying we didn't technically make enough money to adopt from Ethiopia.  Now say that sentence out loud if you want to say an oxymoron.  RIDICULOUS!!!!!  At the time we lived at camp and didn't pay for housing or utilities etc, but that was not good enough for the government.  We tried EVERYTHING POSSIBLE to prove ourselves.  TRUST ME WHEN I SAY TO EVERYONE:  I HAVE NEVER MET ANYONE ELSE THAT HAS EVER BEEN TOLD THIS- NO ONE!!!  And I have many, many, many, many wonderful friends that have adopted from many different countries all over the world!  :)  So don't panic.....it was our person who worked at US*CIS- trust me! 

OUR HEART SHATTERED INTO A MILLION PIECES!!!  IT WAS AS IF OUR LIVES STOPPED!!  I know we still trusted the Lord, but it just seemed to us as if our lives....the love we shared with our children, the faith we had- was put on hold for a while.  And like a car that tries to start but can't over and over again......that was what our day looked like.  Our Naomi - after all our paperwork, and research didn't help, went home to an amazing family......but it wasn't ours.  We had people actually say to us- maybe this is God's was of saying 7 children is enough.  PEOPLE NEVER LET THE DEVIL ENTER YOUR LIVES THROUGH A LIE- EVER!!!!!!

 When our backs were turned.....when we thought all hope was lost.....when we pleaded with the Lord for another child- which we knew HE would be faithful to provide no matter what it looked like......

 That is when this piece of sunshine entered our lives!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 She can never replace our Naomi Caroline........that hurt still remains....and being honest I am crying like a baby right now.  Because my heart will always miss her.  BUT I COULD NEVER SAY NO TO THIS FACE!!!!  EVER!!!!!

 I would never have wanted to miss THIS!!!! 

 Friends I want to encourage you right now!!!!  When people say you are CRAZY!  Count it all good!!!!!

 When people say- you are doing the wrong thing- I mean it is time for someone else to fight for the over 160 million orphans of the world- THEY ARE WRONG!  When people say YOU HAVE DONE ENOUGH.........

 NO!  No.....because it matters to THIS ONE!!!  This child God placed in our home and in our hearts!!!

 This one that brought a healing salve to our hearts and a NEW HOPE!!!  A hope that GOD STILL HEARS OUR DESPERATE PLEAS!!!   HE STILL LOVES US!!!  HE STILL WANTS ALL CHILDREN TO HAVE A HOME!!!!!

 People this is NOT ABOUT space in your home, money in your pocket, a perfect mommy or daddy, not about all your inadequacies, not about your fears of all that could happen, not about what if's.......THIS IS ABOUT THE MIRACLE - CALLED LIFE! 

And I couldn't IMAGINE it any other way!!!!!  Because......this special little girl brought us to this special little boy!!!!  Our twins!!!!! 

Today....my heart is full of JOY over seeing miracles THAT ONLY GOD COULD HAVE DONE!!!  There will never be a way to convince me that GOD doesn't do miracles- EVER.  Even in the darkest of days waiting for our children to be ours officially, going through loss, and grieving millions of tears.....GOD IS A GOD OF HOPE! 

Our memory verses we just finished- Romans 12:9-13 "Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality."

Yep, about sums it all up!  PRAISE GOD!!!!  THANK YOU FOR OUR DAUGHTER JOANNA!!!!  We love you girl more than you will ever know!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Happy Happy Birthday Joanna Faith Wright!