The Sarajune Project

Now I realize I've called this string of musings several things...The Sarajune Project, Sarajune Project, Sarajune Chronicles, The Sarajune Chronicles. Seems a little funny that I can't keep the same title. What's a girl to do? So I'm gonna go back to my original title of The Sarajune Project. Thanks for reading!

Tomorrow is a red letter day. Ok, maybe not so much. Over the last few weeks I have been riproaring emotional. Of course there are the obvious reasons for emotion. I mean, I'm a girl, after all. But for some reason this has been a little more than usual. Last weekend I got home from church and just cried into Daniel's shoulder. A little while later, I looked at the big calendar on the wall and looked at the coming week. Then I realized where the emotion was coming from. Saturday, September 13, is our 2 year anniversary of waiting for Sarajune.

Now the wait hasn't been exactly 2 years. We did 9 months of paperwork before that. The anniversary is our LID (Log In Date). So what does that mean? It means our paperwork has been in Beijing at the CCAA (China Center of Adoption Affairs) since that date. It is the date that officially started our "wait".

Daniel suggested some ideas to distract me on Saturday. I didn't like some of them because they involved people coming to my house, which I'd have to clean, feeding them dinner, which I'd have to prepare, and niceties, which I'm not ready to give. So we're going to the Dinosaur Park as a family to have lunch and see the 'saurs. It's always more fun when dad gets to come!

I have gotten two particular questions a little more than usual lately. So I figure this is a good place to answer and hopefully explain those!

Why is the wait so long?? and Is there a baby already waiting for you??

To the first question...I don't know.

The wait is just what it is. China used to have the most dependable program of all the international programs. You knew you would have your baby in your arms in a certain amount of time after your LID. Over the last 3 years, the wait has spread and gotten longer. The program is run by the CCAA and they are the ones who make all the decisions. It doesn't matter what agency you are with or what country you are from. The CCAA sends out a number of referrals (pictures and info on your baby) each month. That number is what determines how long the wait is. We are in a very long line. The CCAA just sent referrals for 9 days. That is a good number. When we got Ruthie's referral, they sent a month and a half of days. Right now, 9 days is gigantic! (Compared to the 2-3 days they have been sending)

To the second question...No.

At the rate the CCAA is going, she won't be born for another year or so. As they get closer to our LID in the line, the greater the chance is that she has been born. We won't know who she is until we get our referral.

And yes, we are looking at another 2 years.

With that, I have let the emotion come when it has gotten close to the surface. It's been close a lot lately. But my arms are full of my three gorgeous kids and all the fun and stuff that comes with them! Even though I feel the emptiness of one more child, I am grateful I have my kiddos who are here in my arms already. Sarajune stays tucked away in my heart.

You won't have to ask when our referral comes! You will know. It will be the shouts of joy and the screams of delight that echo throughout the land that will let you know that we have her picture and will be packing to go get her. China. Aahhh. I can't wait to come back to see you!

I'm not really as big of a basket case as you might think, at the moment. Time heals things. And since I've got plenty of time, I will probably be healed of any and all ailments and that would be a good thing. Wish us luck with those 'saurs!