Merry Christmas dear friends and family,
Wow! It’s been a year full of learning for our family. I have written you because I covet your prayers for Rosie’s upcoming surgery.
The last Great Adventure of 2014 will yet again be in Augusta, Georgia at the Children’s hospital with the unbelievable children’s artwork. On December 30th, Rosie will be having a surgery. Last year on December 30th, she was having her big palate repair and this year in only 2 more days (but who’s counting) well maybe a nervous mom, she will be having a one hour, outpatient lip revision. What’s the chances of her having two surgeries on the same day exactly one year apart? I told Will that next year I want us to be in New York, freezing while looking at the Christmas tree in Rockefeller Center on December 30th and not in Augusta having any type of mouth surgery. He just smiled and agreed. AH, Christmas in New York what a wonderful thought! Oh, sorry back to the surgery. It’s small really but for a worry wart like me…..a source of anxiety at least once a day. I don’t want my chinese baby to be in pain!! She’s tough but I remember the tears from last year. It wasn’t a pretty sight. Coming out of anesthesia can make you crazy. This is an elective procedure and honestly doesn’t have to be done. I guess that’s why I wrestled with it. While praying about it one day, I asked God should we fix Rosie’s lip? It’s not really that bad. And I sensed him saying to me, do you want me to forget about your small imperfections or make you better? I said fix even those small things, Lord. Then why shouldn’t we do the same for her. I will never forget the day we were at Dr. Yu ‘s office in October. He looked at Rosie’s palate and smiled with approval. It does look awesome! I took her to a seasoned ENT for an ear infection and when he looked at her palate he said, wow, who did that repair? He was very impressed. Horay for Dr. Yu and God for his surgical skills. Sooo when he looked at Rosie’s slightly asymmetrical lip and said confidently, I can fix that. What am I to say, NO, it scares me. And then when he looked over at Emma’s perfect smile and said, I want hers to look like that! !!! What am I to say, NO, it might cause her pain when you do it. She might cry, it might be uncomfortable! You get the message. Somethings in life that hurt us, that make us cry and make us uncomfortable are actually maybe there to makes us better. Those things make us more symmetrical and well-rounded. It’s such a symbolic ending of this year full of learning. I will not lie this has been a challenging year. This whole adoption and unconditional love thing has been a shock to my system. I have cried, I have hurt (death to self) hurts. I have been uncomfortable at times….especially when I was not in control of my very active, three-year old preschooler. With all that being said, the Great Surgeon above has chiseled both me and my family to make us much better than we were a year ago. And last Sunday, when our preacher, spoke of JOY, I honestly couldn’t contain my huge, symmetrical smile because I knew we had said, yes to God when we adopted her. Yes to the pain, yes to the uncomfortable, yes to the tears but yes to a lot of love and promise of what she will become. She drives us crazy but she loves us with all her heart. What better gift is that at Christmas time? To be loved. Will sometimes says…Rosie is the only daughter that I have that really appreciates me. And he’s right, she says thank you when he cooks, enthusiastically runs to him when he gets home and loves for him to read her book, ” Daddy Kisses.” Sometimes when I think to myself what have I done adopting a three-year old at 45. I just watch Will read her that book and I don’t question it anymore. And when she sees a nativity scene and points to the baby and says baby Jesus, I don’t question it anymore. ALL of it would be erased the good and the bad if I would have said, no to what God was calling me to do. And the thought of her erased out of my life would be too much to bear. Yes, I would get to sleep late on Saturdays and be in New York at Christmas. But I would miss out on those hugs and choir programs and homemade Christmas ornaments I received this year. Rosie Kate has made me younger because I have to literally run after her. She has caused me to pray more and rely on God more than I ever have before. She has put me in fearful situations where I was forced to trust God. The unknown can be scary but it just makes you cling to God’s promises more. No parent knows what our children’s future hold we must trust God with their lives. Rosie has enabled me to let go a little more of my big girl’s lives. Yes, I confess I once was a helicopter parent. You know the kind of parent that hovers over her child’s every move. Now because I have Rosie I can’t possibly do that anymore. She demands my attention most the time which gives Anna and Emma an opportunity to grow. Because of that, Anna is probably one of the most experienced, fifteen year old permit driver in this town. She’s driven in the rain, at night, up hills on the interstate, at high speeds in dense traffic with semitrucks and so much more. Her clocked driving hours are many. Why? Because I learned to let go of the what ifs when we adopted Rosie. Not to mentioned it enables me to take a break during car time when Rosie is strapped in her car seat watching a video. Anna is driving and believe it or not all is well. Yes, I feel comfortable with my teenage daughter driving. Yes, before Rosie I would have been a complete wreck. That’s what an active three-year can do for you. Teach you to as the song beautifully says….LET IT GO!!!! relinquish control to the Almighty. .the only ONE really worthy of having control anyway.
Adopting Rosie has caused me to meet people and form friendships this year I would have otherwise missed. All of Rosie’s teachers, sitters and friends, you know who you are. I love and appreciate each one of you. You have made my life a lot easier as well as invested in my daughter’s life. For that investment I am eternally grateful! !
I have become a better Speech Therapist because of you ,Taneeka. Watching you do Speech therapy with Rosie has been the best continuing education class I could have ever had. You and your sweet husband’s prayers have meant the world to me. And yes, you will both be invited one day when Rosie beautifully articulates with her symmetrical lips her testimony of all God has done in her life. But for now we will see you in January after the surgery:) Little seeds grow one day into mighty trees…let’s keep planting.
Our yes has led to yet another wonderful friendship. I will never forget the day my friend, Patsy called me and said, Tricia,I know you and Will have adopting a little oriental girl so I thought you might want to informally adopt a Thomas University Chinese exchange student for the year. You can learn about Chinese culture and Rosie could have a new friend. Well, actually during her phone call I was thinking I have my hands full with Rosie I really don’t have the time. But after I hung up the phone, as usual I once again heard that sweet ,still ,small voice whisper to my heart , Say no and miss a blessing! Miss a Divine blessing, that is one given by God. So we met Lynn, our 22-year-old Chinese exchange student whose getting her Master’s degree in Business. She’s smart, kind, mannerly, gracious, beautiful and most of all CALM. She is an absolutely delight to be around. She tells me her Chinese mother is only a couple years older than me which is kinda of sobering. Anytime, I introduce her I say this is Lynn, I believe God brought her into my life as a picture of what Rosie can one day become and it’s true. What a gift of hope for the future from God! Most the time, after we meet with Lynn, she says to me, it was my honor to be with you. It warms my heart when she says that. I envision Rosie one day looking at us and saying it has been my honor to be your daughter. We will say back, it has been our honor to have you in our family. And this Tuesday at 10:30, it will be our honor to make her smile look even GREATER!! Will and I read a devotional the other day and in it was a reflective quote by Andy Stanley. He said, ” Do for one child what you wish you could do for all” I wish this Tuesday I could fix all assemetrical smiles and make them straight. This year, I wish I could repair all the cleft lip and palates of the world and give all the orphans homes and families. But for now I will focus on just one. Pray it goes wonderfully well.
My dear family and friends, I leave you with this challenge for the upcoming new year. Find your ONE! He or she may be an orphan you have yet to meet, a youth or student you already know, a sick or hurting friend, a patient or a family member. Find your ONE, no matter how uncomfortable or temporarily painful it maybe and make a difference. This life is short….live for what matters. Live for what’s eternal not what fades.
We love you all. Thank you for your prayers they do make such a difference! Specific prayer request…Rosie’s surgery is at 10:30 on Tuesday.
1. She loves to eat when she first wakes up. Pray I can keep her happy without food that morning.
2. A better experience coming out of anesthesia.
3. Dr.Yu….and that she comes out better than she went in.
4. Quick recovery time and back to sleep ing through the night.
Thanks again,
Tricia, Will, Anna, Emma and Rosie Kate