We are Adopting!

Well, hello there blog world. It’s been a long time. When I started this blog at the beginning of our son’s adoption I had planned to keep it up. For me to remember all the events going on and to give you an inside scoop of our lives. As I opened up my blog last night I realized it has been almost two years, yes two years, since I last posted. Maybe one day when I have time I will catch up on that two year black hole. But for now, for those of you who are still out there, I wanted to let you know about something exciting about to go down at the Lovett house.  

We are adopting again!

I know some of you might have questions and have been wondering about this because of different posts on Facebook/Instagram/Twitter about the little boy we hosted last summer. So because of that I will write a little about what happened last year. Everyone likes a little transparency so here I go and hopefully I can keep it quick and to the point. In January (2013), we found out about an eight year old little boy from the Ukraine who needed a family and could be hosted for six weeks over the summer. We were excited and a little nervous about this opportunity but jumped on board.  We started our home study back in February and completed it in early March of last year to start the process to be paper ready for him. We also started our I-600A (paperwork to be approved to adopt internationally) in the spring of 2013.

Then in the summer, we were able to host him. Hosting is a great avenue for orphans to visit another country for a few weeks and experience life out of the orphanage and love from a family. To be honest we had not been very familiar with hosting till last year. I had heard a little bit about it at the adoption conferences I went to but didn’t know anyone who had ever hosted. We are glad we were able to experience hosting and give this little guy a fun summer and an opportunity to be out of the orphanage. After the summer hosting, we sent in another petition asking about him and found out he was no longer on the adoption registry. We are not really sure what exactly happened, but what we do know is that we sent in a petition checking on his status in January, found out he was on the registry for adoption, and then sometime in between was taken off. We then decided, sadly, we could no longer move forward.  That was a strange and sad time. But we are so thankful for the couple who hosted him December of 2012 was able to host him again this past Christmas. So even though he is not able to be adopted, he still has the opportunity to get out of the orphanage life for a little bit each year.

So after that door was closed, in the fall we asked our agency about a little six-year-old boy on the waiting child list for Taiwan. We have a heart for older kiddos who need a mommy and daddy and our hearts were pulled toward this little guy. After months of intense questioning from the orphanage, paper work, and emails…

We found out on December 20, 2013 that we are matched with him!! Being matched means that after Taiwan has looked extensively over our file and life, they have decided we are a good fit for this little boy. 

Matched!

We are going to be parents again. We are going to be his parents.

I would have posted this news earlier last year but I wasn't sure how it would all work out and life has been crazy since December. But I am so excited and wanted to share this great news with you!

I ask that you please pray for us as we get ready to bring this little guy home and please pray for him as he is waiting in the orphanage.  

Right now we are waiting on some paperwork from Taiwan in which we will fill out and send back for court. We are also waiting on an updated I-600A because we switched countries from Ukraine to Taiwan.

I will be posting often from here on out so you will be able to follow us on this journey.

We are excited to begin this adoption journey and so thankful for sweet friends to share it with. 

MDiv Graduation Weekend

Wow. I cannot believe this day had finally come! We moved up here to go to seminary in the fall of 2008 and had no clue really about the area and what we would do for jobs. Thankfully the Lord provided jobs and a great place to live next to friends we knew from our hometown. Shout out to Kevin and Laura Webb! Our first Fall in Louisville they had what they called a 'windstorm' which knocked out power for about 300,000 people for a few weeks. The windstorm was a result of high winds left over from a hurricane from down in the Gulf. As crazy as it was, I found it kind of amusing that we left Mobile, AL, where hurricanes occur pretty regularly, to up here where hurricanes are never heard of. It was almost like it followed us up here. Then, in January, we had what they called a 'ice storm' that knocked out power for a few weeks again to about 300,000 people as well. Both times the locals told us something like that never happens up here and thankfully both times we were not part of the 300,000. Ken was out of school for a week or so both times so we had a crazy start to our new beginning.

We have grown so much here during our time here at the seminary. The Lord has shown us so much about himself and all the ways that he provides for his children. I am also so thankful for all of our friends that the Lord has placed in our path. They are so dear to us and have been such an encouragement to us during our time here.

We also love the local scene and all of the amazing restaurants. We love the atmosphere of the town and all of the fun things to do here. This place has amazing parks, great attractions and great shopping! The shopping is great because if you can't find something at one store, you just go to the other location. This comes from a chick who grew up in a small town in Alabama. So to me, this is wonderful! I have grown to love this place more than any other place I have lived.

I am so thankful we are going to stay on for Ken to complete his Ph.D. So stay tuned for graduation part II, Ph.D. style. :)

Enjoy all of our pictures from the graduation weekend! All of our family was able to come to help us celebrate and we were so thankful for that! My sister-in-law's brother also graduated on this weekend so her family was able to come up as well. We had such a fun time with everyone here!

At the President's house the day before graduation. Pardon my dress. I think I was still excited about Jamaica.

Matthew, Emily and Aaron (Emily's brother).

Sweet cousins!

We went to the Waterfront park to play before we ate supper. Everyone had so much fun!

Luke's cousin Greyson. This kid is always cracking me up! He is hilarious. 

Luke as Superman!

 Aunt Mary having the time of her life. ;) 

Round up the kids, Ken.

Sunset on the river at the restaurant!

I love this town!

Before graduation.

It was so hot this day that the programs had more than one use!

Kens family...minus Adeline. Not sure where she was for this picture.

Reach for it...

Congrats babe!  I am so proud of you!!

Thankful for the tent the seminary provided to escape the heat. 

Whoo hoo!

Luke is so proud of his Daddy!

I think he is making fun of us!?

My family

Ken's family. So sad we did not get a picture with Ken's sister and family! I think everyone was recovering from the heat under the tent.

So excited we have at least one picture with Ken and his sister and parents! Next graduation we will include everyone!! :) 

My sweet niece Adeline.

Emily and her mom. 

Sistas

Threw my man a little graduation party after the ceremony.