The Heart Wants What The Heart Wants

Hi! We're Cathy and Dave. Thank you for taking the time to get to know us better and follow along on our adoption journey and our adventure as new parents. We have two boys. Ethan is twelve going on thirteen - his birthday is coming up September 8th. Justin just turned twelve August 10th.

Justin was our first. Our miracle. The answer to our prayers. He introduced us to Ethan. Ethan introduced us to Masha. We're in the process of bringing Masha home.

This is what Cathy has to say about that:

  

 The Heart Wants What The Heart Wants

As we walk through the journey that began more than 2 years ago with Justin, many have asked why we are adopting again and how can we afford it.  No one said it would be easy growing our family and we never expected it would be.  We never set up to adopt a specific number of children.  We simply asked to grow our family and have children.  God has answered the prayer in steps.  And those answers came through our children...

Justin was our miracle and through him we met miracle number two, Ethan.  At times while planning our second trip to Kiev, Dave and I thought we may be done but we never quite shut that door completely.  The heart knows what the heart wants all in due time...

I look back almost 9 years ago, our first plans were to adopt a girl from China and then from Vietnam.  We had even chosen her name...Emma Grace.  Unfortunately that didn't work out but I don't think we ever deleted our thoughts of having a girl.  We just weren't sure how it would come about or if it really would.  All in due time.

When we adopted Justin, my thoughts were it is okay to have boys as I am not one to primp on clothing, jewelry, makeup and buy frilly things.  Those were my thoughts because I thought maybe we were being blessed with just boys.  I wasn't disappointed but being realistic.  So my desire for a girl was pushed to the back of my thoughts but never really gone.

 So it was no real surprise when we traveled over to Kiev to finish the adoption of Ethan that I watched the girls and kept a close eye on them, thinking about what child would suit our family.  My heart was pulling that way without me really even realizing it.  I watched them interact and I started to yearn.  And all of this started taking place within a couple of days of visiting the orphanage.  I would sit back and wait for the girls to come to me.  I started to be pulled by one in particular and finally within days of spending time with her, my heart yearned for her to be my daughter.  As you all know by now, her name is Masha.  A sweet, beautiful, shy girl who has the most beautiful smile.  Loves hugs and just spending time with us.  We were not able to spend a lot of time with her but we took advantange of all we could.  And she would light up (so would I) once we were able to see her...mostly when she came back to the orphanage from school.

While Dave and I began talking about a third child. A daughter in fact.  Ethan began hinting about a sister.  It is so ironic that Justin hinted about Ethan and now Ethan is hinting about a sister, specifically Masha.  We would smile and not really answer him at this point because the trip was to be about him but we began to really consider the possibilities.  It was finally confirmed that this was meant to be when Masha made her intentions known.

 A couple of days before I was to come home, Masha talked to the head staff and stated that she wanted to be adopted by us.  The worker discussed it with us.  And we made it known that we would be willing to start the process.  On my last day to the orphange, Masha shared with us her new name.  Isabella Masha Anderson.  I gave her a big hug and told her I loved her.  In my eyes, I had a daughter at that moment.
Dave was blessed to spend 3 more weeks with her and get to know her a bit more.  He says that she has a sweet giggle.  She loves art.  Doesn't like spicy foods (not even Ketchup).  She thrived on pleasing him.   Not that she needed to do that but she would take Ethan's English lesson and repeat it as well.
And so we begin the process again towards our FINALE. Our third adoption.  Dave and I are ready to begin our next chapter of family life.  Just being parents raising our children (3 teenagers by next year - YIKES).  Adoption isn't easy and it isn't something that we take lightly but it is for the kids that we do all of this.  They deserve nothing less than a happy and healthy family.  God has blessed us and we are forever grateful.

My heart wants what my heart wants.  I am blessed with 2 wonderful boys that love and challenge me.  They are different from night and day.  One that reminds me of me (minus the sports because I was born with 2 left feet) and one that reminds me so much of Dave it's not funny (easy going and just plain GOOFY).  And soon a daughter that we will get to know and see her blossom just as the boys are, so that her real personality comes out and she can thrive.  Adoption isn't easy as I said, it is a sacrifice that is worth everything.  Money doesn't matter.  As we know it comes and goes but the most precious things are worth every dime.  We sacrifice for those things that we desire the most.  For Dave and me, it is a family.  A family that we can pass our values down to.  Enjoy and cherish our time together.  And finally see them grow families of their own.  I may not have been given a baby of my own but I look forward to the time when my children bless me with grandbabies.  LOTS I hope.

I can't ask for more.  I am blessed beyond measure.  And long for the day when all 3 of our kids are home safe and secure with us.  Challenges will continue but we will be TOGETHER.

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