Dear Macey,
It's that time of year when we try to get at least a couple of pictures with all of us together. With Rachel in Tampa and your brothers in college as well, it isn't easy to find us all in the same house. So, as soon as I realized that we would have the opportunity, I made plans for pictures to be taken. As I tried to put together what everyone should wear so that we would coordinate, you were never far from my mind. I couldn't imagine having the pictures taken and not have you somehow included. We want you to know and understand how much you meant to our family before you were even here. You hold a place in each of our hearts as we anticipate your arrival. You are a part of our family and I wanted to find a way to capture that in a way we could share with you someday. So, I had to find something for Macey to wear. I couldn't have found a more precious pair of shoes to mark your place. I'm not sure if your feet will ever fit in these little shoes, but just the idea that they might makes my heart so happy! When we received the pictures back, naturally we wanted to share them. As we posted them on Facebook, we began receiving questions about the shoes. I wrote the explanation below and thought someday you might like to read it.
In July of 2012 we started the process to adopt a child from Ethiopia. After months of paperwork and hoop jumping, we were placed on the waiting list in May 2013 at #47 for an infant girl. On the first of each month we receive an update on how many "spots" we've moved up on the list. As of Dec 1, we were #24.
What we are waiting for is a referral, or what some would call a "match". So, we do not know who she is yet, what she looks like, how old she is or what her name is, but God does, and we trust him fully. We do know she will be under 12 months and she will be a "she".
Some of you have heard us call her Macey. This most certainly will not be her birth given name. Whether we will actually change her name will depend on the circumstances at the time. But for us, we needed to give her a name. We did this very early in the process. The purpose was to give her an identity within the family. From that moment, she became very real for not only Justo and I, but for all of our kids and extended family as well. When we talk about her, we always call her by name. Her name gives us something to connect with and serves as a reminder that she is already a part of our family. Macey means "gift from God" and that, she is!
The process is long and unpredictable. We could be waiting several more weeks or several more months. We just don't know, but that really is okay with us. We know and fully believe that in God's timing, our sweet girl will be here.
