The Road to Logan

Below you will find our story - the road to Logan.  This is not his story, as that will be his to tell one day as he chooses to.  But instead, this is our story... this is our story that we can only now see -- how God orchestrated multiple events to bring Logan to us.
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"You sure have your hands full."

I have heard this several times in the 10 days that we have had Logan. Yes, I have a 5 year old, 2 year old, and newborn. It is busy and my hands are full.

And I am so thankful because not that many years ago, they were empty. Yet one by one, God has given us three amazing miracles. Chelsea - placed with us on Mother's Day. Cade - a perfect little boy to give us one of each. Now Logan - Larry's perfect birthday gift.

When we moved to Hungary, I wasn't sure what that was going to do to my hope of having more kids. We knew we couldn't adopt from Houston while we were in Budapest. Our plan was to hopefully complete the adoption paperwork right before we moved back. Our first year in Hungary, God opened our eyes to all of the orphanages around us. We thought maybe He was leading us to adopt from there, so we pursued that path until the door was closed and the Hungarian authorities told us it was not an option for us.

Last summer, we were in Houston. On the last day we were here, Larry felt like we should go meet with out adoption agency and just catch up and see if there was anything we could do while in Hungary. We shared with them how God had opened our eyes and changed our hearts in certain areas related to adoption. We asked if we could fill out the paperwork and just have it on hold. They told us they had not been taking any new families, but they would pray about it and let us know.

We got back to Budapest, and not too many days later we got an email from them. There was a birth mom with a unique situation, and because of our conversation with them, they thought we may be interested. In fact, she had called while we were at the agency just days before.  What a "coincidence", huh?  So we confirmed we were interested, and we threw together a profile for them.

Weeks went by and that one didn't work out. "God, what are you doing? Are you in this at all?", I questioned.

Then another birth mom and another unique situation. "Yes, we are interested." More waiting. More praying.

This time, the waiting continued until we were in Houston for Christmas. Our agency scheduled our home study to be completed just in case. Then, another no. Again, "God are you in this?"  More waiting. More praying.

Then another birth mom. And birth dad. "Yes, we are interested."

All the while, my faith was weak, thinking, who would place their child and know they would be taken to Budapest? Plus, we already have 2 kids, so that has to be a strike against us. Plus, we have never had a failed placement, as so many others have. Surely it is our turn for that.

January 31st, we found out they had chosen us. Shock. We made a quick 3 days trip to Houston and met with them. Loved them. We went back to Budapest, expecting to have about 6 weeks before Logan was born.

There were many days in that time due to various things that I thought sure this was going to be a failed placement. Larry was ready to buy baby stuff, and I wouldn't even pack a suitcase.

On February 24th, we got the text that our birth mom was in labor, a little over two weeks early. We were at our small group, and they prayed for us and we rushed out. We threw things in a suitcase, Larry secured our flight for the next morning, and we were off. We landed in Houston, had time to take a shower, and then went to the hospital to meet our sweet baby and spend time with his precious birth parents. Placement was the following night, and just like that, our family grew to 5.

Only now can we see some of the steps that God was orchestrating.  In fact, we stand amazed at how God ordained each and every step of this placement. There were so many odds against us, but He had a plan. He had a plan in our infertility so many years ago. He knew moving to Hungary wasn't going to affect His plan for our family. He had a plan for us in each of the birth moms that didn't choose us, so that we may have everything ready when this birth mom came along. He is able, and we give Him all the glory.

"Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever." Ephesians 3:20-21

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So that's our story.  We hope it may be an encouragement to you also -- so often we can't see what God is doing and how He is working in it.  But rest assured, He does have a plan.  And His plan is best -- even when we don't think so at the time.