Sunday, December 11, 2011

Life as a Malone

Dearest Desi,

While it is still fresh on our minds, we want to record every detail of when we first met you. I may or may not have some tears in my eyes as I type this because I am listening to you chatter in Chinese behind me in the living room. That is a reason for joy.

I arrived at the airport at 7:00 p.m. Friday night, a full hour before the flight ended up landing. About 30 minutes later your Dad arrived with Jordan and Jenna. They had a slight car seat catastrophe and he was in diva dad mode from being unable to get it in the car. After two weeks without mom, it was the cherry on top :)

So many friends came to see you. Some of my closest friends from school including Kelly, Jill, Aubree, Hannah, Lauren, and Katelyn came. Plus a TON of other adoptive families. There was quite a crowd to greet you.

As we waited it was only expected there would be lots of excitement. Jenna began to have an emotional breakdown from anxiousness but luckily our friend Jill bought her a strawberry smoothie and all was well. Once we got her settled down though something happened in Jordan's life that we have yet to figure out and she came running through the airport crying. High school life is dramatic.

And where was our dad in all this? Pacing the airport. Just walking. After two weeks on his own we think he just needed some time. Lots of time.

Finally we saw that the flight had landed. The three of us stood together staring at the screen for what felt like eternity. Tears started flowing. Then, it happened. You and our mom walked across the screen. Lots of tear. Lots of excitement. Cameras were ready.

Suddenly you appeared at the top of the escalator. We ran over and as we watched you and our mom ride down emotions took over all of us. Jenna began sobbing uncontrollably. Our mom, after the adventure of a lifetime in China by herself, couldn't control her tears either.

We were finally together. For probably a minute at the bottom of the escalator the six of us stood together, crying, hugging, and basking in the joy of being together. A family finally complete. After a long journey, the Lord had brought us together for the first time.

The rest is somewhat blurry. There were lots of attempted pictures, but you were not overly excited to see all of us. It had been a long flight and you were exhausted. At one point though you needed to go to the bathroom and when you came out you were giggling and carrying on! It was quite amazing. We were able to play with you some after that. Where was dad during all of this? Searching for the luggage. We pray for him a lot, living life with now 5 women. Brave man. Such a brave man.

Once we all made it home from the airport we played until 11:00 p.m. that night. You laughed so much-it was like we had always been sisters. Always been a family. The Lord is just so good.

Yesterday you met both sets of grandparents and we made our first Sonic run. Ice cream is your jam for sure. Today you went to church for the first time! You'll never believe who showed up. SANTA! Yes, just 36 hours after making your America debut you met the man himself.

I am trying to think of how to describe my feelings right now. It just puts me in awe to think of how blessed my life is. You bring each of us such joy. Your laughter and smiles are like kisses from heaven. Listening to you sing your Chinese nursery rhymes beats any award winning singers. This journey we have started together as a family is better than I believe any of us could have ever imagined. You fit perfectly. God had His hand in every bit of your adoption and He is now blessing our family more than we thought possible.

It always catches me off guard when people say how lucky you are that we adopted you. Or how it's such a great thing our family decided to adopt. For me...we didn't make a decision. We were called to do it. The Lord has asked all followers to care for the orphans. We are the lucky ones. We are the blessed ones. We are the undeserving ones of such a precious angel like you. Adoption was never an option for us. It was something we were going to do whether it seemed possible or not. And let me tell you, there were a million times it seemed impossible.

Saying all of this, things aren't perfect (though they are so very close). You haven't really taken to our dad yet-but we know this will take time. And you are still not completely bonded with our mom. But you do love Jordan, Jenna, and I so much. Jenna is struggling a little bit with not being the baby anymore. For 7 years she has lived the glorified "baby" life so it may take some time for her to get used to it.

That's the best thing though. We have all the time in the world. Because you are home now Desi.

Forever.

Love,

Devan, Jordan, and Jenna :)

First time we saw you on the airport screen!

Falling asleep in my arms :)

You and Jenna love bathtime!



You liked the ice cream A LOT!

Friday, December 9, 2011

Finally.

Dearest Desi,

Today is the day. With a million and one emotions running through me, I sit here knowing in less than 12 hours, our family's life will be forever changed.

It's been a long journey. A journey of ten years. Getting Jenna home seemed like a miracle and for the past four or more years we have been working on bringing another little girl home. Yet today, that chapter of our lives closes. It's a bit scary. But most of all, it's a reason for joy and praise.

You are spending your last two hours on the plane right now. You will land in Chicago about 11:00 a.m. As soon as you step foot off the plane, you will be an American citizen. Congratulations :) I would say that's a big deal.

I keep thinking about tonight Desi and how it will feel the moment our family is united together for the first time. My heart can't really handle it. It reminds me of how anxious the Lord must be for His children to finally be united with Him. I can't wait til the day when we can hear the chorus of angels in heaven singing His praises. I'm filled with anticipation for this because of the small speck of joy I know I'm feeling compared to the joy they will have.

It has been a very long journey Desi. But at 7:42 p.m. tonight a new chapter of all of our lives will begin. And we can't wait.

The next time we update the blog, it will finally be a picture of us. I love the sound of that. Us. A family. Together at last.

Get ready little Desi. It's time for the adventure to begin.

Devan, Jordan, and Jenna

Thursday, December 8, 2011

The Final 36 Hours

Dearest Desi,

So I didn't keep the blog quite as updated as I would have liked to while our mom was in China getting you. But the wonderful news is that once you left Lanzhou and got to Guangzhou, the two of you bonded so well. You are laughing, smiling, playing, and unfortunately stealing from every store you go into! Who knew we were getting ourselves an adorable little thief :) I guess we have some teaching to do about not taking shoes from the store.

Right now you are asleep in Hong Kong, spending your final night in China. Tomorrow you will wake up and get on a plane bound for Arkansas. And you will be home. In less than 36 hours we will be meeting you for the very first time.

A million times I have thought about the moment when we first meet you. We have the rest of our lives to be sisters, and yet there will be that one moment where I think time will stop. The four daughters will be together for the first time. I can already feel the Lord pouring His blessings into that moment. The tears are flowing as I imagine our first hug, our first exchange of smiles, the first time we hold hands and walk together as sisters.

It's going to be wonderful Desi. We can't promise perfection, but we can promise more love than you can imagine.

Enjoy this final night in China Desi. I'm so thankful for the country that has given me two precious sisters. But tomorrow, please come home. We have so many adventures to go on. So many memories to make. And so much love to share.

It's time to come home.

With all our love,

Devan, Jordan, and Jenna




Saturday, December 3, 2011

How He Loves Us

Dearest Desi,

You and our mom have left Lanzhou and made it to the next city, Guangzhou. You apparently were a little antsy on the plane ride but you two made it! Our mom is working very hard to bond with you, but you are making it a little difficult. We expected the bonding process to take a while of course, but it is still hard. Leaving Lanzhou was a good step for the two of you though. In Guangzhou though the pollution is not as bad and there are lots of American families and more people speak English! Our mom is much happier, she had gotten very discouraged by the end of your time in Lanzhou. But now we are moving closer and closer to you coming home!!! Only 6 more days. 6 very short days :)

I was recently inspired by a friend here at Ouachita to compare your adoption to how the Lord has adopted us into His family. She couldn't have been more right. As followers of Christ, we were orphaned. We had no hope, no future, no one to love us. And yet He chose to love us.

Desi, the similarities are overwhelming. Our mom said that when she tries to talk to you sometimes, you turn your head away and refuse to listen. How many times in my life has the Lord tried to tell me something, and yet I have turned my head. I refused to listen to Him. I have ignored and rejected Him so many times. Praise the Lord though, for He is persistent. So persistent.

Our mom only wants the best for you. She has so much love to give to you. She would do anything for you. And she will be persistent as well.

The Lord's love for us is just like our mom's love for you-except even more. He only wants our best. His greatest desire is to love His children. And yet we reject Him. We refuse to accept His love. We think that we know best and that we can do better on our own. We seem to have no idea that this love He is dying, literally dying, to pour into us, is better than anything we could ever imagine. The life He has laid out for us is better than anything we could ever think of. Yet so many times we have told Him no.

I know that someday soon you will realize the love our mom is trying to give you, and soon the love we will be giving you, is for your best. We want to love you, care for you, and give you the best life possible. You have been adopted into our family, just as Christ has adopted us into His. And it will be our goal daily to remember all the Lord has to give us and accept it, as well as be gracious to Him for adopting us.

Only a few more days Desi and you will be home. Yet this is not our forever home. We are destined for better things. We are destined for an eternity united with the Lord in heaven. It's hard for me to imagine that life could be better than this, the excitement and joy and love that my heart has been filled with in these past few days. But it will be. And that is something to be joyful about.

Enjoy these few days in Guangzhou! We hear you are in love with your squeaky shoes. We will try to love them as well.

All our love,

Devan, Jordan, and Jenna

P.S. You are beautiful. And we love you.

Your first plane ride!

Eating a biscuit :)

We love the silly faces!

Getting ready for your physical!

Girl-you only weigh 30 lbs.

The same doctor that gave Jenna her exam

The most beautiful little girl :)

Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Happy Birthday Desi!

Dearest Desi,

Today, at least here in America, you are 4 years old. CONGRATULATIONS!!! We hope you had a wonderful birthday spent at the museum and playing with our mom. We can't wait for you to be home and we will throw you the best birthday party ever. We're thinking our very own tea party?

You are doing as best as can be expected with our mom right now. You don't exactly love her just yet, but you are tolerant of her and you don't have emotional breakdowns. The Lord is so good and we know one day you will share in the family love. For now we are continuing to pray for your heart to be opened to our mom and eventually all of us.

The past few days you have been on quite a few adventures! You guys have gone to the zoo, played in the park, and gone to a museum. At the park you danced with all the older women and the guide while he pushed you in the stroller. Maybe when you get home we can have "Dancing with Devan and Desi" time?

Yesterday was a very exciting day for the three of us. We were all able to talk to you on the phone! Not one of us cared that the extent of the conversation was saying "Hi" back and forth. You told Jordan and Jenna "I love you",  repeating it after our mom, and you said my name! "Bevin" sounds just like Devan if you ask me :) Jenna told me all about talking to you on the phone and when I asked her if she was happy about it she joyfully replied, "I just love her already!" My experience with talking to you on the phone included lots of tears on my part. They say it's hard to remember entire days in life but we all remember moments.

Desi, we will each hold in our heart the moment we heard your voice for the first time. It is one of the most precious things I have ever experienced and I will treasure it for a lifetime.

You are almost home. Only 8 more days! Just 8! 8! 8! 8! 8! 8! Every night I have trouble going to sleep because I have too much joy in my heart thinking about getting to meet you. Everyone is so excited. The blogs are read by so many people every day, everyone asks about you constantly, and the prayer that goes toward you and our mom is unbelievable.

God is good. So good. And we plan on our lives exemplifying that for eternity.

Posting just a few pictures of your journey :) My favorite is the one where you finally showed that beautiful smile. You are beautiful. Inside and out. We love you Desi. With all of our hearts.

Also, for more pictures and details of exactly what they are doing in China, visit:

waitingfordesi.blogspot.com

Can't wait for you to be home.

Devan, Jordan, and Jenna



Monday, November 28, 2011

Sweet Dreams

Dearest Desi,

First off you should know something. I, your sister Devan, have a problem. Every night when I try to go to sleep, I can't! The reason why? My heart is too full. Too full of joy, and excitement, and thankfulness. Last night I laid in bed until 1:30 am just thinking about you and what it will be like when we finally meet. Every time I look at pictures of you, my heart fills with more love than I thought it could before. These next two weeks are going to be the craziest of my entire life with school and everything, but the Lord is carrying me through them so that I can see you. He is just that good.

Jordan and Jenna have exciting news too! They finally got to talk to you on the phone! They said that you had just woken up from a nap so you were a little dazed, but they got to hear your voice and you told them Hi! I am more than jealous of this, I can't wait to hear your voice. I'm keeping in mind though that we said that about Jenna and now sometimes we wonder if her voice will ever stop.

Just to let you know, you are officially Desi Michal Hua Malone. If that isn't a mouthful. Yesterday you went to the civil affairs office with out mom and made everything official. You have always been ours, now we just have paperwork to prove it.

Right now I am pretty sure you are at a zoo in the middle of China with our mom. We hope you are having so much fun and bonding with her. We know this is a hard and confusing time for you. We can't imagine what it would be like to be uprooted and left with some strange woman. Thankfully though, she is the most amazing mom and she is taking such good care of you. We miss her a lot. In the past few days we have witnessed an unbelievable strength in her, and we have seen how much she does for us at home. We hope to one day be half the mom that she is.

Desi, we titled this Sweet Dreams. The reason why is because we hope that is what you are having now. It's for sure what we are. Each night that I fall asleep, I fall asleep with an indescribable peace. A peace that only comes from knowing that no longer is my sister going to bed in an orphanage. She is going to sleep with her forever family. Soon you will be going to sleep at home. And that Desi, is enough to bring a lifetime of sweet dreams.

I'm posting a few pictures to show how you have been doing these past few days!

Girl, you are rocking that kitty scarf :)

We are going to be the best of friends-we adore coloring!

THE SQUINTY FACE!!! Classic.

YOU ARE OURS!!!


You will be home so soon. We can't wait. We love you with all of our hearts.
And we didn't know we could feel this much joy.

Love you :)

Devan, Jordan, and Jenna

Sunday, November 27, 2011

Together at Last

Dearest Desi,

You are ours.

Since our mom left early Friday morning life has been crazy. It wasn't until 11pm last night that we heard anything from her! She had a very terrible experience just trying to get to the hotel that included getting lost in more than one airport, getting left until 3am because the guide forgot to get her, and arriving at a hotel that wasn't ready for her! Honestly, she might be the bravest person we've ever met. Her love for you has given her strength to go to a far away country alone, not speaking the language, and encountering such scary things. Thankfully, the Lord is always good and has provided protection and strength I don't think she ever thought she had.

And now you are together. We love hearing about you-especially how you made yourself right at home when you met our mom. And we love that you are already letting our mom know despite the language barrier that you are all about some bows. With 3 sisters, there will never be a lack of girly-ness. We are so ready to meet you. The anxiety is killing us!

What we don't love is how sick you are. Our mom said you have a horrible cough, a runny nose, and maybe even an upper respiratory infection. Though this isn't good, it is nothing that love from her and prayer from thousands of miles away can't heal.

Just so you know, we are surviving just fine with dad in charge. We ate a very manly meal last night that consisted of beans, rice, and cornbread. We also watch a lot of football and walk around in parka's because he for him it always feels like 100 degrees. But it is all worth it.

We love you Desi. You are being prayed for and you are being loved from half an ocean away.

And Desi, you are coming home.

Enjoy our mom, we miss her lots,

Devan, Jordan, and Jenna

Thursday, November 24, 2011

A Day of Being Thankful


Dearest Desi,

It feels weird to even type this, but tomorrow, our mom leaves America and comes to get you. Desi, in 48 hours you will be ours. Not years, months, weeks, or days. Hours. Sunday morning, the three of us will wake up and meet you via Skype. For the first time, we will see your face, your smile, hear your voice. Tears are flowing as these words get typed because of the journey that was taken for this to happen. Our family fought against so many obstacles and road blocks to bring you home Desi. Through our parent's persistence and the Lord's faithfulness though, that journey is coming to an end, and a new and beautiful journey is beginning. That is something to be thankful for on this Thanksgiving.

This time seven years we were beginning another journey, but with your sister Jenna. Our parents left in February 2005 to go and get her. She was only fifteen months old and adorable. We decided for this blog post we would take a little picture tour showing our thankfulness for Jenna being home.

Jenna's Referral Picture

Just moments after our mom got you!

A happy baby with her Skittles :)

Family Picture in China!

The Malone Daughters (Yes, I did cut my bangs while
our parents were in China...disaster)

Family...but not quite complete!

Desi, it's time. Time for you to come home. Time for us to be able to post pictures of YOU! We are thankful for so many things today. Most of all though, we are thankful for a gracious God. A God who has blessed us abundantly in every single area of our lives. And a God who loves us enough to bless us with a new little sister. There are so many people praying for you on this day. So many people who are ready to meet you. You are loved more than you even know.

The thought just occured you only have two more nights in the orphanage. You have spent hundreds of nights there...and it all comes down to two final nights. Then she will be there. And she will bring you home.

On this day of thankfulness, we are thankful for you. And for the hundreds of prayers that are said for you each and every day.

You're coming home.

With all our love,
Devan, Jordan, and Jenna

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

The Best Birthday Present Ever

Dearest Desi,

We were so sure the travel approval was going to come on November 8th, the 40th day of waiting for it.

But the Lord is so much wiser than us, and He knew. Noah didn't wait on the ark for 40 days. He waited for 40 days AND 40 nights. Obviously the travel approval had to come on NOVEMBER 9TH! And so it did :)

That made for me, your sister Devan, to have the absolute best birthday ever. As I was sitting on pinterest at 2pm in the afternoon, basking in the glory of it being my birthday, our mom called. She calmly asked me how my day had been. I went into a long, detailed description of my classes, nap, surprise birthday lunch with friends, and plans for the rest of the day. She then ever so calmly asked, "Well, would you like some news that would make it even better?" My obvious reaction was tears of joy and lots of screaming.

I couldn't have asked for a better birthday present. Forever in my memory I will have that precious moment when on my birthday, the travel approval came.

And now, precious Desi, YOU are coming home.

We are sad you won't be here for Thanksgiving, but we are abundantly thankful for you. The day after Thanksgiving our mom is giving up the long standing tradition of Black Friday shopping and is instead getting on a plane and coming to get you! You will turn 4 on November 30th, and I would like to think you will be getting the best birthday present ever this year too! A forever family...

We're anxiously waiting for December 9th, about 7:30pm. That is when you will make your America debut. So many friends and family will be there. Everyone wants to meet you. They love you already. I would be lying if I said I wasn't so excited that I think about it constantly, as I'm sure Jordan and Jenna do too. The final piece to the Malone puzzle will finally be home.

It will be the best Christmas ever. Because we will be complete.

So Desi, just hold on ten more days. That's all we're asking. It's a strange thought to realize you have no idea any of this is happening. You have no idea the thoughts, prayers, and love that is pouring your way. But we are coming. It is a comfort to know that you are in His hands during this time. It takes a lot of trust and faith to know that He has it all under control. But oh, how He does.

Just ten more days Desi and she will be there. And in twenty-four days, we will hold you in our arms for the first time.

We love you Desi. With all of our hearts we love you. And we are bringing you home.

Seeing you so soon,

Devan, Jordan, and Jenna

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

40 Days and Nights

Dearest Desi,

We have been waiting for 40 days now for the travel approval to come. We are still confident in His will and the fact that we know you will be home so soon.

40 days is just Biblical. Desi, it symbolizes God's fulfillment of His promises. His love is a promise. His grace. His mercy. His everlastingness.

Noah dealt with the rain for 40 days and nights.
Israel wandered in the desert for 40 years.
Christ was tempted for 40 days.
He was on earth for 40 days after His resurrection.

In honor of this 40 days and our dream of you coming home, we have come up with a list of 40 pieces of wisdom combined from all 3 of us. In our lives...just the things we have come to learn to live by.

1. Be kind to others.
2. Put your clothes in the hamper.
3. Pray everyday, and for everything.
4. Try and stay on mom and dad's good side.
5. Have good manners, always be polite and say "Yes ma'am" and "Yes sir".
6. Don't talk when mom and dad are watching the news.
7. Take care of the animals, they are the Lord's creation.
8. Never be afraid to dream big.
9. Don't talk to strangers. Stranger danger is for real.
10. Obey your parents. Sometimes they really do know what they are talking about.
11. Put the Lord first in your life. When all else fails you, even us, He will not.
12. Share with others. Always be generous with everything you have. It's only temporary.
13. Let the light of Christ shine in you for the world to see. Make them want to know what it is that brings you so much joy.
14. Brush your teeth every night before you go to bed. Nobody likes a cavity.
15. Sisters before misters. Before you think about boys, make sure you have girls that can be your best friends.
16. Keep your hair and hands out of your mouth. It's just gross.
17. Sometimes it's hard to come by in our family, but use common sense.
18. A little bit of diva never killed anyone.
19. Respect others. Remember you must always treat them like you hope they'll treat you.
20. Don't be afraid to be a little crazy sometimes. Dance in the rain. Sing in the shower. Belly flop off the diving board. Make a mud pie.
21. Tanning beds are bad. Stay away. And that's a rule.
22. You will never have to convince a boy to like or love you. If a boy tells you he doesn't like you, move the heck on.
23. Don't hit or kick anyone on the playground. Or one of us. Unless hit first...but even then...just evaluate the situation.
24. Always remember you are beautiful in our eyes. And in His. Inside and out. Beautiful to your core.
25. Bake cookies at grandma and grandpa's house. They are just quality people.
26. Let Pawpaw teach you how to drive. He is the best. And the most patient.
27. Never go outside without permission. Those cows back there could get you. :)
28. Don't let a goodbye get drawn out. It'll only make it hurt worse.
29. If you believe in something, stand true to that. Don't be afraid of what others think. The greatest in history didn't do the easy things the world asked them to, they walked the narrow path the Lord asked of them.
30. Always put the dishes in the dishwasher. Never put grease down the sink.
31. Don't be discouraged by the boys who stick around for a while then leave. Someday, the Lord will bring into your life a boy who will stay. Who will put up with your craziness, your strengths and weaknesses. He will be a man of the Lord. Just like our dad. Never forget, there will be the one who stays.
32. Always wear clean underwear.
33. Let people know you are thankful for them. Sometimes your encouraging words could have a more profound impact than you ever imagined.
34. Whenever you need something, come to us.
35. Don't gossip. Don't say harsh words about others. Guard your tongue. (We are preaching this to ourselves right now as well)
36. Treat the Bible like one big love letter from God. Because that's exactly what it is.
37. The best piece of advice our dad ever gave...never go to bed mad at someone.
38. Remember those less fortunate. Burden your heart for the poor, the needy, the orphans of the world.
39. Always look for a sale. Never buy something for full price.
40. Fill yourself up with love. Love for Christ. Love for your family. Love for life. And seek the Lord for all you need, because He is the only one who will be able to fill you.

Always and Forever
With all of our Love,

Devan, Jordan, and Jenna

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

The Little Blessings

Dearest Desi,

We continue to wait for the travel approval. We continue to pray for you daily. We continue to dream of the moment you come home and are a part of our forever family.

Today we received an updated picture of you. And you are beautiful. Though we haven't gotten the travel approval for our mom to come and get you, the Lord continues His blessings. Like this picture.

Though some people might see you and believe you are handicapped, that is not how we see it at all. The Lord is not deterred by the fact that you do not have your left forearm and neither are we. You see, we are here to glorify Him, and outward appearance doesn't matter one bit. It is so exciting to think of all the things you will be able to do in life. We want you to dream big. Don't ever let the sky be your limit. With the Lord, the sky will never be the limit. So never, ever, let anyone tell you that something can't be done. That some goal can't be accomplished.

If we listened to them, Jenna would not be at home right now. And we would have never seen your face. You and Jenna were our mom's passionate dream. Even when it seemed the world was against her in her pursuit for adoption, she kept on. We are so thankful for that, because now very soon, we will have you in our lives.

We know you probably have no idea about us. But most precious Desi, we know all about you. Every single day we pray for you. As does so many important people in our lives. You are loved more than you could ever imagine. And when you come home....well we're not sure our hearts will be able to handle the joy that will fill them.

Loving you to the moon and back,

Devan, Jordan, and Jenna

***As your sisters, you should know we love to live lives full of joy. And we can't wait to share that joy with you. Here's some fun we have been having lately :)


                                  

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

And So We Wait

Dearest Desi,

We write this to you as our family encounters some distress in the adoption. For some reason, the travel approval just won't come. It is hard on our mom which makes it hard on all of us. But we want you to know, we are so ready for you to be home. Even in this time when we don't understand the delays, we know that the Lord is looking at the entire puzzle of you coming home, while we are looking at a small piece of that puzzle.

That is a life lesson that we, as your sisters, want you to know. Sometimes things happen and we just don't understand. And it makes our hearts hurt. You should be aware, you are entering a family full of emotion. We have a tendency to cry. We've learned that it's okay to cry though. The lesson is that no matter if we understand the situation or not it is our one calling to know that the Lord is in control and that His plans are so much greater than ours. This is such a hard time while we wait for you. Yet it is a growing time. As you grow bigger physically, you grow that much bigger in our hearts each day. It makes us sad to think that you sit in an orphanage alone thousands of miles away, yet you must know you are constantly in our thoughts and on our hearts. There are so many people praying for you and your homecoming. We love you-to the moon and back. We loved you before we ever saw your face. The part that gives us joy is to feel this love for you and to know that the Lord's love for each of us is even greater than this. It is a comfort to know while we aren't there to care for you, He is daily comforting you. He is daily pouring His love on you. It is such a blessing to all be daughters not only of Stephen and Mary Malone of 10200 Salina Springs, but of the King of Kings.

Bringing up the prayers that go to you each and every day, you must know about your sister Jenna and her mighty prayers. Each and every night before she goes to sleep she prays with one of us. In the past year not a night that any of can recollect has she not prayed for her little sister Desi, in an orphanage thousands of miles away. She prays that you sleep well even though you aren't home yet. She prays that you are doing okay. And she is confident that He hears those prayers.

So we wait. We wait for travel approval so that you can be with your forever family.
We wait for the day when we can hold you in our arms.
Always know that you are already in our hearts.

With all of our love,

Devan, Jordan, and Jenna

Your sister Jordan-the master of the clarinet! We got to go to her football game this past weekend and cheer her on!

Thursday, October 13, 2011

Letters for Desi

This morning as I was helping my mom pack Desi's clothes in the suitcase (it will be repacked another 100 times, no worries) I realized it is very hard to keep friends and family updated on the status of our newest little sister, Desi. So I thought...maybe I should give blogging another chance. My attempt in May was quite a failure. Over the course of the day I've let my imagination run wild and decided Jordan, Jenna, and I are going to have this blog for Desi. It will allow everyone to stay updated on her and allow us to tell her about our lives right now and how excited we are for her to come home and for our family to be complete.

So Desi, this is for you. We love you. And we want you to be home.

Dearest Desi,

You are 3 years old right now and in an orphanage in China. I sit at your almost home in the always exciting Benton, Arkansas while our mom picks up your other two sisters, Jordan and Jenna. I first want you to know about each of us...you deserve to know what you are getting yourself into :)

Devan. Oldest Sister. 21 years old in 29 days. A Ouachitonian. Studying Mass Communications and Speech Communications. A little indecisive. Often called Little Dev, Dev, or as Pawpaw always has, Sugarfoot. Problem solver. Part of the wonderful Women of Tri Chi. The best nerd you'll ever see. Talkative. Always talkative. Loves traveling. Sings like a ghost. Diva.

Jordan. Second oldest sister. 15 years old. Learning to drive. Member of the Benton High School band. Plays the clarinet. Loves country music. And horses. Continues to beg our parents for a horse. Passionate about life. Often called JP or Jordy. Fierce. An excellent cook. Contagious laughter. Animal print is her style. Risk taker. Loves the outdoors. Tans too easily. Diva.

Jenna. Third oldest sister. 7 years old...but almost 8. Adopted from China just like you. Prayer warrior. Too smart for her own good. And ours. Excellent gymnast. Knows no strangers. Honorary member of Tri Chi. Compassionate. Often called Jen or JBCM. Would eat ramen noodles for every meal. Recently took the training wheels off her bike. Loves to write notes for people. Diva.

Right now we are waiting on travel approval so that you can come home. It will hopefully come next week and once we have the approval, then we get travel dates, then we send our mom to China and you come home! The goal right now is that you be home for Thanksgiving. We really hope you are home by then so that you can help us decorate the Christmas tree. It's one of our favorite things to do each year-and you can always count on controversy ove the perfect placement of each ornament.

Now here are some thoughts from Jenna:
Desi, I think you should know about our mom and dad too. They are sometimes grumpy but they always are supportive. I love them and you should love them too. They are really awesome and you should think that too. You need to be prepared for dad because sometimes he talks to the dogs...by the way you need to know about our two dogs Jack and Wilson!

When you are in second grade and if you get Mrs. Dale she is going to be awesome! She is really fun and jokeable.

Jordan doesn't have any thoughts right now because she is getting ready for a community pep rally that she is playing in. But here is a picture we snapped today while we were all together for a minute!



See you soon,
Devan, Jordan, and Jenna :)