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

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

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

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

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 :)


                                  

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!

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 :)