Nothing really ever happens as I plan....the wait just kept getting longer and longer and I eventually lost my patience. I stopped keeping a journal. It became another reminder that Ryan and I were still childless and that we had no hope that the light would ever be at the end of the tunnel.
So, fast forward to this past Fall........For those that don't know, I've spent the past 11 years coaching/sponsoring our high school's Colorguard. From the 4th of July thru Thanksgiving my life is a mixture of practices, competitions, teenage girl drama, band booster meetings, hot bus rides, and lots of laughter, tears, smiles, and high fives. Colorguard has become a way of life for me(and Ryan too as much as he dislikes it!).
Last season was my "last" season. I knew in my heart that we would have our Ally before the 2010-2011 marcching season began. Our last competition is always the KMEA State Marching Band Pre-lims and Finals. Last season our Pre-lim competition was held at South Oldham High School on November 7, 2009. After we performed, there were hugs and crying. For the Seniors, it could've been their last performance(we had to place in the top 4 to perform at Finals).
For me, my coaching era was winding down. It was bittersweet. I knew deep-down that my time in the near future would be as a mommy, but all these kids who I've dearly love would no longer be in my life. It was very emotional for me.
Before the announcement of finalists, I needed some alone time. I couldn't go over to the field to hear the results, it was WAY TOO stressful. So, I went into our semi and sat down on a bench in the back and waited. It was so quiet and peaceful. The serenity only lasted for about 5 min before my cell phone began to vibrate with text messages informing me that Harrison County hadn't qualified to perform.
The bus ride back to the hotel was quiet excpet for the occasional sniffle from the crying. Sitting in the stands watching finals was hard; it was my last finals and I wasn't on the field with my kids.
The next day, November 8, 2009 was also emotional. So many of the band parents are VERY close friends of mine. We see each other everyday. It's sad to know that only sporadically would we get together now.
Fast forward to May 13, 2010 when I receieved "the call". Emily, our China Coordinator quickly over the phone gave me all of Ally's information. The most important detail for me was her date of birth. She was born on November 8, 2009. So, at a time when I was going through an 'end' of sorts, my life was really just beginning. As I was saying good-bye to a part of my life, the biggest part of my life was just coming into the world......thousands of miles away.
I don't have a journal entry ot look back on to know what I was doing and feeling on Ally's birthday. I don't need one, I know exactly what I was doing and all the emotions going through my hear and heart.
Interestingly, I have a picture of myself taken on November 7, 2009. I like to think that with the time difference, Ally was being born or had just been born on the afternoon of Nov 7.
If only I had known then what a blessing was tkaing place in China at that moment. Would I have smiled even bigger?
Wow, Melanie! What an awesome post! What better proof can there be that things happen for a reason and that HE has a plan for us all. Reading your post made the hair on my neck stand up. Several years ago while we were debating on whether or not to start the adoption process with China to eventually adopt Lillian, we had several "divine intervention" events to point us in that direction, although none of them were more evident than the last one that finally made up our minds. While sitting at dinner one night in a local restaurant, we were staring at a family sitting across the room from us that had a young toddler-aged girl form China (you know, that stare that all yearning parents do when they see a family with a little girl from China :-) ). Although an agency had sent us some information about international adoption from China, including a video, we had yet to watch it because we were still on the fence as to what we were going to do. After staring at this family throughout our entire meal, we decided to go home and finally watch the video. The video was giving details of the agency's different adoption programs and as they were talking about their China adoption program, they were showing clips from a recent group of families' trip to China to get their little girls. As we sat watching this video, the camera focused in on a couple boarding a bus with a beautiful baby girl. As the shot got closer, we were stunned, because the family on our TV at that moment was the family that we had been staring at throughout our dinner just a few moments before. It hit us like a baseball bat and we were both in awe! We knew at that very moment what we were supposed to do. We filled out our application that night and started the process to adopt from China. One year later we received "the call" and pictures of our little Lillian. It was an amazing day! But, the story I tell, along with yours, just reaffirms to me that HE is always there and guiding us throughout our lives. I also think that it was HE that put you and Ryan in the same room with us at the USCIS office in L'ville that day and caused our paths to cross. Anyway, congrats again to you and Ryan and we will be following every step of your travels to get Ally!
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