It's a BOY!! (part 3)

.......OK.....On a more personal note......

At the moment, the name that we have chosen for him will be:

Samuel Matai Nelson

We want him to have a good, strong name that is somewhat indicative of his heritage/culture and where he came from. The Marshallese names and their meanings are apparently somewhat funky and strange, according to our attorney. However, it's easy to find Polynesian names....which is somewhat of a step away from the Marshall Islands. As soon as Matt found the name "Matai"....pronounced "Muh-tie".....I instantly fell in love with it!! It comes from "Matthew".....and it means, "Gift from God". Could it BE more appropriate to our story!? So Matai is actually the name that we're thinking he will go by, with a nickname of "Tai"....pronounced like "tie". Granted, this could change once we are in Arkansas and we see him and hold him for the first time.......:)

Throughout this whole journey up till now, Matt and I (and everyone who has been through this process with us) have continued to watch miracle after miracle happen in making it possible for us to adopt this little guy. There's no doubt in our minds, at this point, that this little boy is supposed to be a part of our family. For whatever reason, his journey to this earth is supposed to come by different means than directly through Matt and I, but that doesn't make him any less OUR son. It is our hope that we can raise him in such a manner that will be pleasing to the Lord and that he will grow up to be a strong, healthy, incredible man someday.


It is also our hope that his birthparents will allow us to be a part of their lives and that they can become somewhat of our extended family. We appreciate them so much for this most precious sacrifice they are making for us! I cannot wait to get to Arkansas and meet them in person and give them huge hugs! No words can truly express the feelings of gratitude and happiness in my heart these days.

All of the hell....the heartache.....the hurt.....is worth it to get to that moment when we can finally hold him in our arms and know that he's OUR son.


Throughout this whole adoption journey, it has been one of my greatest desires to be able to feel the Spirit and know that the Lord is pleased with what we are doing. I have longed to feel the Spirit confirming to me that our adoption stories, whatever they may be, are right for Matt and I and that this is part of our journey in this life.....to raise these children and teach them in the Gospel of Jesus Christ.


Since the beginning of this year, my faith and my trust in my Lord and Savior has grown in leaps and bounds as I have physically watched Him bless Matt and I over and over again. It's been amazing to actually be able to see the Hand of the Lord in my life, guiding and directing us in this journey. On the other hand, I have also witnessed the power of Satan doing everything he can to destroy and stop this process at the same time. As I've watched the 'war' going on between good and evil, I may at times feel frustrated watching Satan try to destroy everything we are working so hard for......but it's also made me more determined than ever to do what's right and stay the course, even when things get tough! I WILL NOT give Satan the satisfaction of winning this battle!


Matt and I have come to the conclusion that our family is not going to be a 'typical family'....but it's going to be one build on hard work, trust, faith, love of the Savior, and a strong testimony in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Whatever the Lord has in store for us and our future children, we will do everything in our power to be in the right place at the right time and find our children by whatever means they are supposed to find us! We will continue to fight for our family and will never give up!


I have such a testimony of this Gospel! It has been reconfirmed to me that....without a doubt.....the Lord DOES know us each, individually and personally. He DOES know our sorrows and our joys and he is continually watching over us and protecting us. However, we all have our trials and our weaknesses.....we all have our journeys that we have to go through in this life.....and He won't stand in the way of that, either. It's up to us to fight through the tough times, stay close to the Lord, and put our trust in him.


Again, I have such a strong testimoney of the Gospel and I have so much love and gratitude for my Heavenly Father! We are SO abundantly blessed!! I pray that we NEVER forget the tough times that have gotten us to this point. I pray that those tough times will help us to be better, more patient, more loving parents. I don't ever want to forget this moment....this journey.....and the events that have led up to it.


This journey is not completely over yet and I pray that it will still end with the 'right' result.....and that it will be a happy ending for Matt and I. But, regardless, I will do my best to remain strong and do whatever the Lord has in store for me and our future family. Only through Christ can we do all things!!

This is the end of the story to this point.....today. Now, we wait for word that little Matai is finally coming to join our family forever!


The story will continue as it continues to unfold......