It is not a vacation ya know?!

We have heard this phrase, 'It is not a vacation ya know?" a few times now, referring to us taking our 9 year old daughter Alaina to China with us. This was a concern for us when we first decided to take Alaina with us.  We wondered how  people would view our decision to let her come with us when we are fundraising for our adoption and now adding a couple thousand more to our adoption expense, just so she can come too. Trust me when I say deciding to take her with was not a decision we took lightly.

Alaina is a wonderful girl. She is a very mature 9 year old . She has a very nurturing spirit and thrives on caring for her siblings. She is a true delight and a blessing to our family. I am not saying this to sugar coat our decision to take her. She does have some traits, just like the rest of us, that are not the most attractive (she tends to be a bit nosey and bossy at times).

When we first talked about adding another child to our family, Alaina was the first on board. She stated that she would be willing to share her already crowded room, toys and clothes forever if she had to. She even said she would give up all of her Christmas presents if it meant that we could adopt another child. When we asked her why she felt that way, her response was simple, "Because there are children without a mom and a dad and families and that makes me really sad." She gets it. She may not understand about all the attachment issues and grief and all the other tough stuff, but she gets it.

So, when she asked if she could come with us we knew we had to at least consider taking her. After praying about it and talking to her some more, we knew it was the right decision to take her for so many reasons. She knows the trip is not a vacation. She knows it will be a tough trip. She knows that she will have to work hard so she can go. She knows she might cry at some point and  that mommy and daddy might  too. She knows that Aliyah might have a hard time getting used to her family....But, we also know that God has plans for Alaina's future. What if going on this trip stirs up a desire in  her heart to help the least of these? What if this trip helps her realize that she too wants to adopt when she gets older? What if this trip helps Alaina realize how good our God really is and how much we really have? What if God becomes more real to her? What if Aliyah needs her sister to meet her in China? I could go on and on about all the good reasons to take her with. We feel like this is the right choice for our family; we feel like this is what God wants us to do.

I do not want to seem like I am being negative here, we do understand that people may have real concerns about us taking her with us and we are open to answering legitimate questions. Please, just remember there is a 9 year old girl on the other end who's heart and intentions are in the right place.

Alaina and Aliyah