Last night we landed in Oklahoma City, OK to drive to Lawton, OK to celebrate the graduation of Gabriella's oldest brother, Kai. Kai will graduate from Army Boot Camp on Friday. Today, we got the chance to see Kai for Family Day.
After the Family Day presentation, we hopped in our rental vehicle and headed out to treat Kai to a yummy meal. As we all hopped into our vehicle, Veronica (Kai's girlfriend) noticed that there was a ladybug on Kai's badge... she mentioned something to me because she knows that there is something about ladybugs and our family.
I reminded her that I believe that God shares a ladybug with us when some sort of good news is about to happen within the next 7 days concerning our adoption. So far, God has always done something amazing within seven days. With every ladybug He has sent, the bug has been within 3-4 feet of us (ie. definitely for us... a God Wink... not a coincidence) and arrives within 7 days. Today's bug, landed on "Fouts"... Kai's badge. I now fondly call this our "Fouts Ladybug." And, another God Wink... this time, for someone new!
Last Thursday, April 26, I had sent Jason to work with his very own ladybug catcher. I took his photo, but he wouldn't let me post it on Facebook... probably because he really didn't think a ladybug would ever come. So, I just posted the comment: I sent Jason to work with his very own ladybug catcher today!
I sent him with the ladybug catcher because he was losing sleep about one of our daughters still waiting for us in China. He couldn't figure out how she would get in to our arms, much like our other two. I told him that when he told me about her, I fasted and prayed, and God specifically showed me that she was indeed our daughter, through multiple Bible verses. Though God is going to have to prepare MY heart for this little surprise gift, I KNOW that if God has ordained her to be in our family, that HE, will cause a way to make the IMPOSSIBLE happen. I told Jason to take this bug container to work. God wouldn't have shown me all that He did if she wasn't ours. And, if she is ours, which I believe now that she is, she will come. I handed him our ladybug catcher... and this note: "If God sends you a ladybug in the next 7 days, then you need to completely trust that God will finish what He has started and that Giavanna will come home."
SEVEN DAYS LATER, God sent Giavanna's ladybug to the name "FOUTS"... In my mind, this is clear, that Giavanna Fouts is coming home. The ladybug didn't come to Jason's work, but she came on the 7th day, half way across our nation, to the vehicle he was driving and to his last name... HOW MUCH MORE CLEAR can it be? God can fly His ladybugs ANYWHERE!
While we were in Lawton, these 3 other blessings were in the our mail back home: Gabriella's Chinese documents, her LONG awaited for passport and our I-800 with Tyanna's fingerprints confirmed as well... all arrived on the same day as our FIRST ladybug today.
While snapping photos of our FIRST ladybug, we arrived at our yummy meal with Kai. This was his first non-Base meal since February 21st. Grandma and Grandpa Fouts joined Jason and I with Kai's beloved girlfriend Veronica and baby sister Gabriella.
After our meal, we went back to the hotel to rest before deciding to go to Starbucks.
When we woke up from our nap, Gabriella and I were delighted to see our SECOND ladybug on the wall above our bathroom sink.
We brought our second ladybug to Baba and Grandma and Grandpa Fouts while
they were sitting in the hotel lobby talking (the ladybug is crawling on the left corner of the box).
The blessings today were already abundant. We decided to go for a walk to Starbucks and grab a drink.
While these were just a few blessings, there was yet another blessing given to our princess Gabriella just minutes later. She is a lively and friendly little spit fire and gains the attention of almost everyone she walks by. And, if she doesn't get your attention, she WILL make sure she does. She will look you in the eyes and say "Hi", "Good Morning" or whatever she says until you respond. Because of her personality, she gets favorable treatment wherever she goes. Today, the barista at Starbucks gave her a free pink cake pop to go along with her requested "coffee mocha please."
But today didn't end with just ladybugs and cake pops. Our very independent. "I do it myself" little princess decided to follow family out the door without waiting for Mama or Baba. Within less than a minute, we heard screaming... our little one was dripping in blood. She had split her chin open and had busted a back molar tooth (which she spit out as we were driving to the local ER). While this photo doesn't make it look that big of a deal, when she cried, I could see all the way in to her bone. ICKY! So, I got to spend a couple hours in a hicksville ER... OH MY WORD... can I just tell you that I was COMPLETELY confident that within 2-3 minutes of observation that I could have run that whole ER myself. Maybe I can't move to a third world country and care for orphans.
We arrrived home late... Gabriella slept well.
I slept an hour that night.
The next morning, we woke up and went to Kai's graduation from Boot Camp.
Our Army graduate... wishing he was a civilian and thinking college wasn't a bad idea after all.
Kai with his sweetheart Veronica.
Grandpa and Grandma Fouts
Mom, Dad and Gabriella
Gabriella's boo boo fixed!
Four days of adventure... while we were grateful to be at Family Day, see Kai graduate, hear some of his stories, watch him share some precious moments with family and Veronica, and send then him off the next day to his AIT school (Advanced Individual Training in Houston),we are glad to be home once again.
