Up and coming...

We have been crazy busy around here thus the blog has been slightly neglected. I wanted to fill everyone in on what we are anticipating for the next few months.

We have a court date for January 15 for our MOWCYA letter to be written. (MOWCYA is the ministry of women children and youth affairs). Please pray with us that we are written a favorable letter. Once we have a favorable letter we will most likely be traveling 1-2 weeks after that.

When we travel we will be meeting our baby girl!!!!!!!!!!!!! Then we will go to court in Ethiopia. Praying that we will pass court the first time around. We will return to the US without her. She will legally be ours once we pass court, though.

After we have passed court we will be waiting for our Embassy appointment. Usually this is about a 6-8 week wait. During this time our agency will be working to process our baby's birth certificate, passport, and other documentation.

Once we have a date for Embassy we will travel to pick her up and bring her home! Then we will do a happy dance. :)

This is a quick outline of the next few steps. We are so looking forward to meeting our baby girl in just a few weeks. We are like little kids waiting for Christmas. We are starting to prepare for travel now. We will be collecting donations to go to the transition home where our daughter is and also to some local orphanages. Below is a list of donations they are in need of. If you are interested in donating anything we would love to take it over to share with the children in these homes.

Current Priority Transition Home Needs

Child-sized cotton blankets
Foam/Rubber (lightweight) soccer/playing balls for toddlers
Diaper cream, specifically with zinc oxide (Desitin or Boudreaux's) ***HIGH PRIORITY
Clothing and shoes for children ages 8-14 ***HIGH PRIORITY
Warm clothing-sweatshirts, long-sleeved shirts, etc.
Bath towels for children*** HIGH PRIORITY
Antibacterial hand gel (40oz containers available at Wal-Mart for $5 and personal containers)
Small sized diapers
Baby bottles and nipples
Vitamin D drops
Unscented baby wipes ***please note, unscented/sensitive skin wipes are the only type
used***

Orphanage and Transitional Home General Donation Needs

Toothpaste and toothbrushes
Scrubs for nurses and nannies
Crocks for nurses and nannies
General first aid items
Powder-free gloves for nannies and TH doctor
DVD and VHS children’s videos-especially Christian videos and/or ones with singing/dancing
Crocs for nannies
Toiletry bags (small) for children’s personal hygiene items (one per child needed)
Puzzles for young children
Toy cars and trucks appropriate for toddler aged children
Iron drops
Diaper rash ointment (A+D preferred)
Paper towels
Children’s clothing (new or slightly used); Boys and Girls; sizes 0-8 years. Clothing needs include
day clothes (especially pants), pajamas, underwear, and shoes.
Diapers for up to 30 pounds
Toys to stimulate babies such as colorful objects, rattles, etc. that are appropriate for babies
up to 2 years
Unscented baby wipes ***please note, unscented/sensitive skin wipes are the only type
used***
Powder formula with DHA/RHA
A + D Original Ointment, Diaper Rash and All-Purpose Skincare Formula
Hand Sanitizer
Candles
Children’s Notebooks
Enfamil or Similac Lactose free formula.


*the following Generic Brands with identical nutritional value to Enfamil & Similac are also acceptable:

1. Parents Choice formula from Wal-Mart
2. Target’s generic Formula
3. Kirkland formula from Costco

Soy based or other special formulas are also acceptable as long as they are one of the brands listed
above.

Medications/Medical Donation Needs**
o Multivitamins
o Tri-vi-sol (o to 6 months)
o Poly-vi-sol (6 months to 2 years)
o Chewable multi-vitamin (2 years to 9 years)
o Adult multivitamin (9 years plus)
o Tylenol (acetaminophen)
o Infants
o Children's
o Suppository
o Syringes for giving medicines (5mL)
o Plastic and Latex disposable gloves
o Baby nose saline spray
o Neosporin
o Mouth and nose masks
o Benadryl liquid/elixir
o Permetherin for scabies
o Lice kits
o Toothbrushes, toothpaste and dental floss

**Please check the expiration date on all donation items as expired items will be discarded upon
receipt and cannot be used.

Feel free to contact me if you are interested in donating. If you would rather make a monetary donation we can use that toward buying supplies while we are in country. Thanks ahead of time for blessing these babies.

So that is where we are at. Once we pass court I will be posting pictures of our daughter's beautiful face. Until then we so appreciate your prayers that all runs smoothly and quickly.

Referral!!!!!

Well, the adoption process we've been on has taken us significantly longer than we had originally thought.  From the time we were first accepted into the Ethiopia program at America World Adoption Association (April 20, 2010), through our paper-chasing stage which concluded when we sent our Dossier To Ethiopia (DTE - November 19, 2010), and finally through our waiting stage up to now, we have been in this process for 2 years, 7 months, and 8 days.  Of that time, we have been at the top of our agency wait list for 5 months and 1 day, each day during the week bringing with it the excitement and opportunity that maybe it is the day we get "THE CALL," and then the inevitable disappointment that has come when it doesn't happen.  This has been a roller-coaster ride, for sure, and through it all we have been incredibly blessed by the many people in our lives who have supported us financially, emotionally, and certainly through prayer.

It is with great excitement and joy that I am finally able to say that on Wednesday November 28 at 10:33am, we received a call from our agency to let us know that we have been given a referral for a 19 month old girl.  GOD IS SO GOOD!  We are incredibly happy that God has continued to grow our family through adoption, and has blessed us with a beautiful baby girl.  Since we still have a ways to go, here is a short synopsis of what comes next for us:

• After our agency receives our referral acceptance, they will work with the Ethiopian government to set a court date for us in Ethiopia.  Court dates usually come about a month after our referral, which likely means that we will be traveling in late December or early January.
• Once we pass court, we will have legally adopted her according to the Ethiopian government.  However, we will still need to wait for approval from the U.S. Embassy in order for her to receive a Visa which allows her to enter the U.S.
• After the Embassy reviews the paperwork, we will have to travel back to Ethiopia for our second trip for an interview with the Embassy, and receive her Visa so we can bring her home.

We have estimates of how long the rest of the process will take (hopefully we'll be bringing her home in February or March), but the reality is that there are no guarantees when it comes to the time it takes for each of these steps to be successfully completed.  We would also love to give you more information and pictures, but at this point she's not yet legally our daughter.  However, rest assured that we will keep you all posted with more information as we are able.

We thank you all for being with us through this, and ask that you continue to pray that God will grant us a swift conclusion to this chapter of our adoption story, without complications or hang-ups, and that we will be able to bring our daughter home quickly.

2 years

Two years ago today we were in Florida visiting our friends for Thanksgiving. We received an email from our family coordinator telling us we were officially DTE. That means that our documents were sent to Ethiopia. We were finally waiting. We were number  31 on the list. Things were moving. The wait time at that point was 7-11 months, but some people were moving much faster. We were getting our girl! We were so excited.

The times have been pushed back several times now. Today makes two years of waiting. I believe we along with one other family have broken a record at our agency. :) This week is a short business week for our agency. We don't anticipate a call before Thanksgiving. They have extended wait times to 18 to 30 months so we may have more time on our hands. As we have seen the wait times are a very rough estimate.

I am thankful for this time though. Since we have been waiting lots of great things have happened. We are blessed beyond measure. We have made friends. We have been blessed by prayers, hugs, and financial support toward our adoption. I have learned so many lessons. It is hard waiting, but I am thankful for the wait. God knows what we can handle, and he never leaves us alone through it. We are praying it is soon that we get the call and see our daughters face. For today, we will be thankful for these two years, and we will pray for patience as we wait on God's timing.

pins and needles

Ok, so I don't want to think about it, but I can't stop. If we don't get a referral tomorrow we will be waiting at least two years. At this point we have already waited longer than any one else. (To my knowledge), but we will break the two year mark on Monday. Since there is no one in the office on weekends to give referrals tomorrow is our last shot to be within two years.

I would so love to have a referral now before the holidays, but alas, I am trying hard not to get too anxious. I'm just trying to remember that it will come in perfect timing. Dear God, please let tomorrow be perfect!  :)

20 weeks

Today is the 20 week mark for being number one. Who knew. I remember like it was yesterday when we found out we were number one. My stomach was in knots. It was all of a sudden real. This thing we had been waiting for was finally going to happen. That was in June. Now it is November and in some ways I feel further away than when we started this whole thing.

God is good. I know He has a plan. I know it is a good plan. I know it is all in His timing. I know that none of this surprises Him. So, I try to just breathe. I try hard to just live. I try to pray and hope and believe.

I am working to find the balance in the wait. The balance between avoiding and obsession. The balance between excitement and fear. The balance between living and longing. The balance between surrender and hope. I fight back tears most days. Once they start it is hard to stop. I want to dream about my baby girl, but I am a little scared because what if none of those dreams work out.

This wait is painful. It is a good pain. I have learned lots. I am still learning lots. I am so blessed. God had protected me from so much. It is good for me to wait. It is good for me to learn to give up all control. It is good for me to have to surrender my plans.

At this point there seems to be no timeline. My heart hurts for those who are below us on the list. Their wait will be even longer unless something drastically changes. The time frame right now is 18-30 months. It was 7-11 for an infant girl when we started. This wait has been unexpected. It has been long, but God knows what was needed. He knows who my daughter is. He knows her personality. He knows her favorite color. He knows every hair on her gorgeous little head. He knows how much this momma loves her. And He loves her even more. She will be worth the wait.

So for now we are praying. We are praying for Ethiopia. We are praying for clearances so these orphans can go home. We are praying for the staff who are caring for our baby. We are praying for others in the program because we are not the only ones waiting. We are praying for the staff at our agency.  We are praying for our daughter that she is safe, warm, has food, and is being loved on until we get her here in our arms. We pray for our family for peace and patience during the wait. We pray we see her face soon, and get to hold her in her arms soon. Most of all we pray God's will be done.

Hard reminders

Lately, I feel like I have been a lot like Eeyore. I feel like there has been this storm cloud of bummers hanging over my head. There is this cycle of complaining that I have going for me at the moment. I have a long list of wants that I can't do anything about. The things I want aren't bad things, but they are things I know I can't have right now. I want our baby girl home, I want a house that fits our family a little better, I want to meet our financial goals. But our adoption process seems never ending. And we can't move until our daughter is home. We are continuing to pursue our savings goals, but we have no idea what that will look like when we add another child with potentially expensive medical needs. I feel stuck and whiny. I hate whining, but I am still doing it.

This week has been one of those weeks that has made me rethink some of my struggles. There is a family in our church who was in an accident and they lost their 3 year old. Rethink how blessed I am to have the time I have with the children the Lord has blessed me with right now. Last night we heard a friend who we served in youth group with several years ago passed away. It was another sudden and unexpected death. He was a husband and father to two little boys. Rethink how blessed I am to have my husband here to provide for us and father our boys. This morning I was chatting with a friend who lives in a rougher neighborhood. Last night gunshots were fired into her yard. Rethink this house I want out of so bad. It is safe and we are happy in it.

It is hard in the midst of a long wait to see outside of it sometimes. I am so blessed. I am blessed to have a husband I adore. I have three happy and healthy boys. I have a messy, chaotic, tiny, home that is filled with love, laughter, memories, and joy. I am so looking forward to the day when the chaos increases. When my laundry overflows not only with blue, but also with pink and purple. I beg God for the time when I get to wake up a little early because I will actually have to do one of my children's hair. Until then I will try to keep a balance of longing for what God has in store and what God has for me now. I will do my best to cherish today because tomorrow is not guaranteed.

Wait times

Today our family coordinator called. Not to give us our referral, but to tell us it is probably going to be longer. We will hit the 23 month mark on the wait list next week. Wait times are projected to be between 18-24 months right now. Once those at the top of the list pass that they will officially raise the times. Well, they anticipate that our wait will exceed the current times. There is a fairly good chance we won't even have a referral by Christmas.

I am thankful they are keeping us informed, but that is hard news to hear. We are praying that we see our baby soon. It hard to believe that we are still waiting. In the amount of time it is taking to get our daughter we had 3 children! I am trusting God's timing. I know he is faithful. But honestly the wait is still really hard. I am very ready. I guess we will just keep waiting until the day God is ready for us to have her. Whenever that may be...