A Special Addition to Our Family

Okay, there are two trains of thought here, but don't worry, they will meet at the same station.  :)


Train 1
I have long loved the name Anastasia, using the soft pronunciation, "Anastahsha" or "Ana-stah-see-ah."  If our future daughter (hey, I can dream, can't I?!) weren't already named, using a form of my mother-in-law's name, Anastasia would be her name, easily.  I think it's a beautiful name.

Train 2
Shawn and I have considered sponsoring a child through World Vision or Compassion International.  It's just never felt right, though.  We've looked at pictures, sorted through biographies and names, talked until we're blue in the face, and while every single child is special, and every story is sad, none of them really leaped out at us.  We knew we would want to sponsor a little girl, and we also knew we'd want to support a child with special needs.  Noah is funny--every time we go to the bookstore, he campaigns to "buy" a child.  We've explained the process to him (we are not purchasing a child, Noah!), explained the financial commitment, as well as the emotional and spiritual commitments.  We've told Noah:  This is not a one-time deal.  This is a lifetime.  This is a human being, not a name, not a story.  These children are real.

The Station
Last week, the radio station we listen to did a big push for Compassion.  Their goal was to have as many children as possible signed up with sponsors over a 48 hour period.  I didn't think much of it, honestly.  The DJ's were excitedly talking about some of the children, sharing some truly horrific stories, and speaking with their guest from Compassion.

As I was driving and listening, the DJ began to talk about a little girl named Tasya.  Four years old, she lives in Indonesia, she has special needs, is an only child who lives with her parents.  Oh, and her full name is Anastasya.  I was so absolutely floored by God yelling at me, that I accidentally hit the gas pedal!  I pulled over because I was shaking so hard I was afraid I would cause an accident.  And, being who I am, I'd also started crying.  I texted my friend to tell her about this little girl and said "This is it!  This is HER!"  Then I called my husband, who was a little more skeptical than I was.  I begged him to just think about it, please.

When I got home, I found her picture (she's beautiful, by the way), and sent the link in an instant message to Shawn.  He ignored me.  I got a little more persistent; I can be very obnox--I mean, persuasive, when I need to be!  That night, after the boys were in bed, I said a little prayer for Tasya, then set about campaigning for her cause with my husband.  We went to bed, agreeing to sleep on it.

The radio's big push for Compassion was continuing into the next day. Shawn went to work, I went to the center, Noah went to school, Avery went to daycare.  Life in the lives of the Furr family continued. But, Tasya was there, in the very front of my mind.  I just knew she was for us, and us for her.  So many things had fallen into place, and I just knew this is how it's supposed to be!

When I got home from the center, I checked Tasya's link again.  I AIMed it to Shawn at work, with "She's still there!  She's still waiting for us!"  I could hear him sigh all the way from his office, and the earth shifted when he shook his head.  We talked over AIM a little bit more, then an email popped in my inbox, congratulating us on our new family addition, thanking us for our sponsorship, and telling us that our information package would arrive soon.  What????  Shawn was in the middle of telling me to send her link to him again, so I called him as I was refreshing the page.  While the page loaded on my computer, I was explaining the email to Shawn and promising that I had not given the company any information and I did not know why I got the email.  Tasya's page finished loading, but at the top were big red words, "We're sorry.  This child is no longer available for sponsorship."


My brain is a little slow.  I still had yet to put two and two together.

I immediately started crying, blubbering to my husband that someone else had gotten her.  Putting things in perspective for me, he said, "Well, isn't it a good thing that she's covered for the next year by us then?  If she is that important to you, then she is that important to me."


Well, yes, it's a good--Wait...  What????

Yep.  Tasya is officially part of our family now!  I feel beyond blessed.  It's been unbelievably emotional for me, and I honestly can't explain quite why.  I have only seen a picture of her, yet I can tell you without a doubt that I completely and honestly love her as if she were my own, as much as I first realized I loved my boys the second their pregnancy tests turned positive.

When I told Noah about our newest addition, he responded, "Cool.  When do we go get her?"  I have never felt such an unbelievable warmth with Noah before.  Just like that, he was ready to move her in!

Now I am camped out by the mailbox, impatiently waiting for Tasya's information packet to arrive.  I cannot wait to learn more about her, and send her a letter and pictures from our family!  Each night, as I've tucked my own boys into bed, kissed them and hugged them good night, I have mentally kissed and hugged "our" Tasya, as well.  I have prayed that her parents are the kind who tuck her in, kissing her, hugging her, and telling her beautiful and loved she is.

Oh, Shawn made me promise I won't send out birth announcements, but he didn't say anything about not photoshopping her into the family Christmas photo!  ;)