Top 5 Most Frequently Asked Questions!!!!

We have truly been overwhelmed by the joyous responses we have recieved since we announced our big news! It is SO exciting to finally be able to tell everyone about our "LuLu" and to have that beautiful little face to show them:) Along with those congratulatory hugs comes plenty of questions and so I thought I would devote this blog post to answer some of those questions!

1. By FAR, the most popular question is "When will you get her?" And, unfortunatley, I really do not know. This is our first adoption and while I am trying to learn everything that I can, the one thing I have figured out is that the timeline to adoption varies greatly. There are charts and timelines out there that one could obsess over, which I am trying desperately NOT to do. The one thing I do know is that God will bring her home to us at exactly the perfect time! But..... based on those timelines that I try really hard not to look at, I am thinking we are looking at least the end of April to early May.


2. Another hot topic is "What made you decide to adopt"? Many families adopt for many different reasons, but for us, there really is only one answer. God placed it on our hearts. Plain and simple. I have close friends that have adopted, and I have always thought that it was such a selfless and wonderful thing to do, but honestly, I never believed it was a journey that my family would take. God placed this adoption on my heart months ago, and from the very first minute, He has shown this family that this was truly His plan for us. Over the next few posts, I will share some of Tulah's story and how God showed us that she would be a part of our family...forever.


3. Ahhh.... most popular question number 3.... "You're naming her what"? Ok, this one is simple! Her name will be Tulah Liu Rhea Hatley. Yes, it is a long name. Yes, it is a different name. And yes, I love it! Her Chinese given name is Liu Ya Run. In China, the last name, or sur name, is first. Her last name is Liu, which is given to every child in her orphange because this represents where she is from, Liuzhou City. Every girl in her orphange is given the first name Ya. And, according to her records, the name Run was assigned to her with no special meaning. So, you better bet that her new forever name was going to be pretty special!!! Both Zoee and Grayden have family names, and so I was determined that she would have a family name as well. Tulah was the name of my great-great grandmother. We will keep the name Liu for her to represent part of her Chinese heritage. And, Rhea is Michael's mother's middle name. So, there you go! A very special, unique and family name for our girl! ( I have to give props to my mom and my sister for helping me find this special name for her) And, as far as a nickname, we have been affectionately calling her our little "LuLu".


4. Many people also want to know "What do your kids think"? Well, for the most part, they are really excited! Zoee is thrilled to be gaining a sister, although she did say she really wanted a "China twin sister" that would be her same age! But after a few minutes, that quickly changed and she can't wait until her little sister is here. She has been really great about the whole experience. Before she knew anything about the adoption, she had been talking for months about getting a "big girl" room. She wanted to paint, get a new comforter, things like that. So, when this news came, we offered to make her a new room upstairs. But, suprisingly, she wants nothing to do with that! She wants to share her room, just like it is now, with her new little sister. She is very excited to have a roomate!! Grayden, isn't quite as joyous about a new sister. He REALLY wanted a brother. But, he says "it will be really cool to be a big brother. I'll get to look out for her". SO SWEET!!!!!


5. And last but not least, "Does she have special needs"? Why, yes she does. Our little LuLu has club feet and hip dysplasia. This will mean some surgeries for her in the future. I can tell you that this did cause some anxiety for us, as any medical issue would, but God has given us a peace about this child, and we are confident that she will get to be just as active as any other child.

So, there you have it! Answers to your most frequently asked questions! Please keep our sweet girl in your prayers. We already love her as much as if she had been here from the day she was born. It just breaks my heart that she doesn't know that yet. Pray that God would be preparing her heart, even though months away, for her forever family. And before I sign off, here is another picture of our girl. Isn't she just perfect?!?