December Update

We received our December update today with 3 pictures. He is getting so big! Here is what we know:

* 19 pounds
* 27 inches long
* He has 2 teeth and is babbling more
* He smiles a lot!
* Likes to take a bath and play in the water
* Food he likes best is Pastini (a type of pasta prepared for babies) (we will get along great!)

I also talked to the agency today and there is some good news, our case is able to start moving again. There are still some pieces up in the air that need worked out and a rep from the agency is going to that region in the next couple of weeks to see if they can get more answers and things moving. Please pray for nothing but good news to start the new year!

Postponed Again

Well Mark got the call today, we didn't pass. No one passed today due to an office taking a training day, so no recommendation letters were written. This is getting extremely frustrating. Why does it seem like we are never going to be able to bring our baby home? We are so ready and willing, so what is the problem?!? I know patience is a virtue and we have to trust in God, which we do. But today I am frustrated and am ready to stomp my feet and scream! Good news is, hopefully, the agency will follow up with us next week not sure on what but we are praying it will be only good news and that the hold is over and our paperwork is moving through again. Please pray that we only get good news because I don't know how much more bad news I can handle at this point.

Court

Well Friday is our next court date. We still have not heard any good news on the investigation moving along or our paperwork moving through. At this point it looks like we will just be given another court date and wait longer. With Christmas coming the waiting is getting harder. Although we trust in God and have faith that he will bring our baby home in his timing, the selfish side of me is screaming for him to come home now! I feel like a 2 year old who is on the verge of throwing a major temper tantrum! Do you think God minds?!?!?

I didn't think I would be posting this song again this Christmas, but here it is and this year it means so much more since we have a name and a face that we are fighting for!



Merry Christmas Daniel! May God hold you in his arms as we tell you from our hearts, we wish you Merry Christmas!

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving! Today is the day we give thanks, eat lost of food and celebrate with family and friends. I am thankful today for:

* My wonderful husband. I would be lost without him.
* Our family who have been so supportive on this emotional journey we are on.
* Friends! I don't know what I would do without my group of friends old and new. They keep me sane at times when I think I just may go crazy.
* AWAA for guiding us on this journey and connecting us with our baby boy!
* The staff at the TH (where Daniel currently is) and the way they love and take care of our baby when we can't be there.
* All of my Yahoo Group friends, who take pictures and love on our baby, who are there for support when no one else could possibly understand what is going on or what we are feeling!
* Our baby boy! He is happy, healthy and growing. We love the pictures and always see him smiling.
* Most of all I am thankful I have a loving and caring God who is with us every step of the way and we don't have to go through this journey alone!

As I am sitting here watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade I can't wait for next year already when we will have our little boy home and he will celebrate his first thanksgiving with us! I guess I better go get ready to eat!

Happy thanksgiving everyone!

November Update

We received our November update today! He is getting so big, here is what we know:

* 18 pounds
* 26 inches
* He is eating cereal, potatoes, carrots and fruits
* He is babbling
* He can stand with support
* Active and energetic
* Likes to observe his surroundings
* He is starting to teethe, one on the bottom jaw
* Favorite toy is rattles that make sounds
* He moves his body and smiles when he hears music!

I can't wait to get him. Praying we will get our turn very soon!

New Court Date

We did not pass court today, but we already knew that would not happen going into today. Our new court date will be December 18th. That is one month for the officials to finish whatever they are doing so our paperwork can move. Meanwhile I have been listening to the following song, words to live by right now:



Some of the lyrics of this song:
I’m waiting
I’m waiting on You, Lord
And I am hopeful
I’m waiting on You, Lord
Though it is painful
But patiently, I will wait

I will move ahead, bold and confident
Taking every step in obedience

While I’m waiting
I will serve You
While I’m waiting
I will worship
While I’m waiting
I will not faint
I’ll be running the race
Even while I wait

I’m waiting
I’m waiting on You, Lord
And I am peaceful
I’m waiting on You, Lord
Though it’s not easy
But faithfully, I will wait
Yes, I will wait

Amazing Things Happen

What a night! Tonight is our Jr. High/middle school program CRASH at church (5th-8th grade). Tonight we talked about coveting and what it means to covet. They learned that the opposite of coveting is contentment and to be content is to give (in a short version of the lesson). They watched a video and after the video Audra (the jr high leader) had me come up front with her and told the kids about the adoption and Mark and I were doing God's will adopting a baby boy from Ethiopia. She told them how we were suppose to go to court on Friday but that is not going to happen due to an investigation,etc. Then she had me go into the middle of the room and all the kids (I would say approximately 100 including adult volunteers) surrounded me (not easy for someone with crowd anxiety) and put their hands on me. Then a 8th grade student, 5th grade student and one of the adult volunteers prayed over me. Of course I was crying and just overwhelmed with the presence of God in these 5th-8th graders. It doesn't stop there....

Before the program started Audra and I were talking about how the older kids over in Ethiopia need things like shoes and basic necessities. We thought that would be a good service project for the kids and something they could relate to. So after they prayed Audra told them that while we were over there we also wanted to help the other kids who we couldn't bring home with us. We are going to collect shoes and Mark and I will deliver them to the Ethiopian kids. We don't care how much we pay in baggage fees we will get them there. The kids were excited and immediately we received almost $30 dollars to buy shoes. That may not seem like a lot but to a jr high kid that is a lot of candy!!! But it doesn't end there....

We went to cluster groups where we break out in groups by boy/girl and grade. Since I was the cluster group leader for the now 6th grade girls last year when we started the whole journey and this year I am the cluster group for the 5th grade girls where we will end the journey, I combined the two and we had a prayer meeting. I started off and we prayed for all the orphans of Ethiopia, one by one the girls took turns praying. Then we prayed for the government and the officials and all investigations to be quick so all the kids could get homes, once again one by one they prayed. Then we prayed for Daniel specifically for his health and happiness and that God would protect him, again one by one as tears started they prayed. Finally one of the other leaders asked them to pray for Mark and I and our families specifically. I have never felt so much love and support as I did in that room of about 40-45 middle school girls. Their prayers were honest and heart felt and sweet and I thank God and praise him for every single one of those girls. As tears were streaming down my face I could not help but smile. I have an amazing God and he put these girls in my life not so I could mentor them but so they could support and love me! They prayed for 25 minutes straight, once again for a middle school student that is huge!

It doesn't stop there, I went to say goodbye to Audra and someone stopped me and told me that for all the shoes the kids collected and we were taking they wanted to pay the baggage fees! Do you believe it! I am so overwhelmed with the love and support and grace of God. I went to CRASH tonight kind of feeling bad, knowing in my heart that Daniel will be home in God's time and I left feeling peace, energy and such amazing love that my heart is bursting.

God is so good and I love being a Jr. High Volunteer!

Thank you God for the amazing people you have put into my life and the trials you put us through. I know this is frustrating to us but I also know that we don't have to worry about it. You have it under control and for that I am so unbelieveably grateful. Am I hurt and sad that we don't know when Daniel will come home? Yes but God I know you are there with him and with all my heart and soul I know you will not leave us to do this on our own. I am so glad that I serve an amazing God like you! Thank you for amazing friends and family and thank you for pushing me to be a jr high volunteer! I love you! Amen

No Court

I just talked to the agency. We will not pass court on Friday. Our paperwork is stuck at the first level of the system in his region. We have no indiciation how long we will be waiting. The officials are working out their internal processes and doing investigations. Please pray that they figure their stuff out soon and out case moves. Could be a couple of months. I saw it coming and yet I am still slightly heartbroken. I keep going back to what it says in scripture. God will not give you more than you can handle and he will walk with you through whatever comes your way. This gives me some comfort right now.

3 days.....

3 days until our court date. I now have mixed feelings about this. I am excited but yet guarded with the possibility that our paperwork will not be done in time. I know that it is already handled and I don't have to worry. God is in control and He loves me and will continue to take care of me. He will continue the good work he has started through us. God can and will move the mountains!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

...being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.... -Philippians 1:6

Many Prayers Needed

As you all know our court date is suppose to be on Friday November 20th. We just received an email there is still paperwork moving through the system, the officials are still working out internal issues, whatever that means. There is a pretty big chance that this paperwork will not be signed off on by Friday and we will therefore just be given a new court date. We are growing very tired and know that God can perform miracles and that is exactly what we need. Please pray the officials figure out their internal issues and we are able to move forward. We have waited so long paitently, I am not sure how much longer I can be paitent! Our little boy is growing up in the transition home without us. I know he is very well loved and taken care of there but it is not the same. God please help us, it is time Daniel comes home. Please pray....

4 days....

4 days, we are getting closer. I can't believe we are only 4 days away from court. I continue to keep my heart guarded somewhat but can't necessarily contain the butterflies that are starting in my stomach everytime I think about it. In 4 days we could be officially parents! This is such a journey. Please continue to pray for our court date Friday. If you could also keep in your prayers our friends the Reeds who are having some communication/paperwork issues and are travelling to pick up their baby girl this week. Please pray that everything works out and they have a smooth trip. Their journey has been very long. They are also taking a care package to Daniel and will get to see him and hold him next week. I am praying they will be able to tell him that mommy and daddy are on their way!!!!

Those who know your name will trust in you, for you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you. -Psalm 9:10

5 days.......

5 days and counting......

This journey has been quite a journey. One big thing I have learned on this journey is patience and waiting on the Lord. If you wait he will always take care of you, it may not be in your timing but will always be in His. I praise Him for this way of taking care of us, if He would let things happen in our timeframes, most of the time it would not be good.

I thank you Lord for loving me and covering me in your grace. You always take care of me, and love me when I fall. Please be with us this week and continue to give us peace and patience as we wait for our court outcome on Friday. Please be with Daniel and cover him in your love. I thank you for the many nannies and the care he is being given at the transition home while we are not able to be with him. It is all because of you Lord! I thank you and praise you. Amen

Wait for the Lord, be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord
-Psalm 27:14

6 days......

In 6 days our case will be brought before an Ethiopian judge for us to become Daniels parents. We have waited so long for this moment and are praying that this is the time on God's plan for us to start our family. Throughout this entire journey we have felt God's hand on every part, from making the decision to adopt a baby boy to financial help and even the delays we have experienced. It is all part of His glorious plan! Please pray with us that the judge will find favor and grant us guardianship, pray that the babies and children there will remain healthy and pray that we will soon be on our way to meeting our baby boy. The most wonderful gift we could ever be given from God!

In him we were chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will..- Ephesians 1:11

October Update

We received our update on Daniel last week for October. Here is what we know:

* 17 pounds (2 pounds gained since last month)
* 25.6 inches long (1.6 inches grown since last month)
* He is eating well and takes his formula hot (fun while travelling)
* He can sit by himself without support
* He is crawling (pictures are so cute)
* He loves to play with the nannies
* To put him to sleep it is best to rub his back (no problem there more cuddle time)
* He is ok with strangers, provided they play with him!

He is getting so big and looks so cute crawling and sitting up by himself. We got to court in 11 days!!!! Provided the paperwork is moving and completed by then. Please pray with us that God's will is to pass court on the 20th and bring our baby home before the end of the year. God is good, only he can make it happen! I can't wait to share pictures with all of you (the 2 people who read this!). He is the cutest little man I have ever laid eyes upon (of course I may be biased)! Stay tuned, more good news to come hopefully......

New Court Date

We received a new court date today of November 20th!!!!!!!!! Please pray with us there are still a few things that have to happen before this date in order for us to pass. The paperwork is still moving through the city officials, please pray they move quickly and everything the judge wants to see is in the documents. We are so excited but still guarded as if these few things do not happen by the 20th our date will be rescheduled. God is good and God is in control! He can move mountains and make miracles happen!

Grandpa update - he is doing very well. He was in the hospital over the weekend with some fluid around his heart but went home Monday and says he feels like a new man! Praise God for no surgery!!!!

Today is a good day and I only have Him to praise for it! Praising God and praying for Daniel to be home around Christmas!!!!!!!!!!!!

There's a Reason for Everything

Today we were suppose to be on our way to Rome if we would have stayed with our original court date and passed. As I am typing this my grandpa is laying in the hospital waiting to hear if he is going to have to have a triple bypass or not. He went into the hospital Saturday with chest pains (also accompanied by pain in the jaw and arm). Last night he had two more episodes of the chest pains. I do not believe I would have been able to get on a plane and fly half way across the world knowing my grandpa, who I love dearly, would possibly be undergoing major heart surgery. So as I wait for the doctor to tell us what they are going to do, I have to praise God once again, not for the situation or us being delayed, but for knowing what was going to happen and that at this time the place I would need to be is with my family. This is the trust and faith I was talking about in previous posts, He is in control and though we may not see the reasoning and it may hurt and we definitely may not like it there is always a reason behind everything that happens, we just have to have faith. I am wondering that may be the reason I have had a peaceful feeling about being delayed because God knew there were things that were going to happen that I could not foresee. Thank you God and I praise you for your wonderful, grace and love! While Daniel is still in Ethiopia he is healthy and happy. My place right now is with my Grandpa until he is healthy and happy too.

Update

We received a call from Anna today at the America World. Daniel's profile is complete from the orphanage and we should have it all emailed to us sometime today. What happens next you may ask? Well as of today the paperwork was all at the office of MOWA in Nazareth Ethiopia, the area Daniel is from. They will have to do whatever they do to it and then it will continue up the chain of command. This is the part that can take awhile to complete. We are at the mercy of all the little courts in Ethiopia. Once this makes its way through all of these we will petition for a new court date for guardianship, this could be 2 weeks or it could be 6 months. Meanwhile they are still doing an investigation and trying to find his birth mother or another family member. This would move things along quicker if they can find someone. Honestly I didn't even expect to hear anything today, it has only been a week! God is in control and only God can move the mountains!!!! What can you pray for, please pray specifically for"

*All the different sections of MOWA to move quickly
*All the paperwork to be complete and to the satisfaction of the judges
*Something to be found on his birthmother or another family member
*Daniel's continued health and happiness until he can come home with his Forever Family!

Praise You In This Storm

I have finally had time to process the news that we are not sure when we will get to bring our little guy home. I really wrestled with God on this one with the questions of Why not us, Why do we have to wait, When will we start our family...all day on Thursday. We were so prepared to bring this baby home to join his family, but it is not his time to come home. Friday I was listening to my ipod and this song kept coming up over and over, "Praise You In This Storm" by Casting Crowns. I think God was telling me that I had my day to be angry, now it is time to pick myself up and even when things don't go our way (which I have a very hard time with) we still need to praise God for the wonderful things that he has done. Like we need to praise Him that our baby boy is healthy and happy, he is growing and gaining weight and not sick! We have not seen a picture of him where he looks sad or not taken care of. We need to praise Him that he is in a place where they love him and he does get attention and love from families coming for their children. We need to praise Him for the families that are willing to take care packages and love on him when we can't be there. We need to praise Him for the pictures we have received, we could have been sitting here for the last 4 months without any pictures. We need to praise Him for the updates we get monthly. We need to praise Him for the support and love from our families and friends. Even though we can't see the big picture, God knows his plan for our family and in His time it will come to light. Not our time. I think we get so stuck on trying to make things happen in our time that sometimes we miss out on the reasons why His time is much better. So for now I will continue to praise Him for the amazing things he does. I will take time to look around and see the beautiful pictures He has painted this fall, the trees and sunsets. I will take the time and not stress over things I can not control. I have complete and total Faith and Trust in Him because He is in Control and for me right now that is all I need to know!

Here is the video for the song I mentioned above.

September Update

We received our update today from AWAA for September on Daniel. Here is what we know:

*15 pounds (up 3 pounds from last month)
*Eating cereal
*Rolls over and can sit up with support
*Is happy and healthy
*Loves to smile

We also received a picture of him on his stomach looking up smiling. That smile just melts my heart and makes me smile. God has big plans for this little guy, though we don't know what they are yet or when he will get to come home it is in God's hands and he knows what he is doing.

Delays

We received a call from the agency today. There were some things the judge wanted investigated in the paperwork from the orphanage. Basically we are back to square one. The orphanage needs to redo the paperwork and complete the things the judge had concern over. We dont' know how long this could take, it is completely out of our control. We do know that as of this morning the orphanage director was on his way to the region where our son was from to start the process. The agency is pushing the orphanage to move quickly and will try for expedited court dates once we get to that part of the process. We know God is in control of this and we have faith and complete trust in Him. Please pray that the people involved in moving the paperwork will move quickly. This is the nature of adoption and we knew this coming in. We have fallen in love with this little boy God has choosen for us. Right now we are just heartbroken and sad as we had planned on travelling this month or next to bring our baby boy home. For reasons we can't understand right now that is not God's plan so we continue to wait paitently....

Just when you need to hear it

It is funny the way God speaks to you where you least expect it. A friend posted on her Facebook page this You Tube video. Just listen to the words, exactly what I needed to hear. Having a hard time with the wait this time around.....



"He Sets the Lonely in Families..." Psalm 68:6

Court Delay

We received an email from AWAA today that the courts are delaying opening for another week. They will not open until Oct 12th. Which in turn means our court date will be rescheduled. Not the news we were hoping for today. Please pray with us that we get a date pretty quickly after they open and we can finally be united with our baby boy.

OVERWHELMED!!!!

There is no better word to describe what I have been feeling in the last week or two - Overwhelmed! I have been:

Overwhelmed by life in general. How you could go from nothing to so extremely busy that you don't even get to sleep!

Overwhelmed by God's grace and the way he works in our lives. It may not always be our plan but his plan is so much better if we just have the patience and understanding to wait on his timing!

Overwhelmed by the generousity, love, support and prayers of wonderful friends and family.

Overwhelmed with the fact that in 6 days the courts in Ethiopia will reopen (hopefully) and our case will be taken before the judge to get a new court date since ours is currently a Saturday Oct 10th. Trusting in God on this one!

Overwhelmed with the fact that potentially in 20 days we could be on our way to meet the baby we have been praying for for the last 4 years (remember I said God's plan is so much better we just need to wait and listen for instruction)!

Overwhelmed with nervousness, love and excitement because in approximately 27 days we could be holding our baby boy for the first time!

In general I am just overwhelmed! God has a plan so I will put all the anxiety and nervousness away and trust that his plan is WAY bigger than mine and he has a wonderful gift waiting for us on the other side! Please pray with us that we will get a new court date before Oct 10th and will be able to follow this plan he has put us on to hold our son finally in 27 days!!!!!!!!!!

Approvals and Tickets

We received our fingerprint renewal (I-171H) approval yesterday! That was a very quick turnaround. We just went last Thursday, now we pray that the information gets sent to the correct place in Ethiopia before we get there. Some people have had trouble with that part.

Now for very exciting news, we purchased our tickets yesterday! We were willing to take the risk of having to pay a change fee if something should happen to push our travel back. We are praying that God will help to release our little boy on the 10th and we will be able to bring him home! I am getting kind of nervous now there is so much to do and I don't know where to start and we will tentatively leave in 3.5 weeks! Agh......... We are going to Ethiopia!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Fingerprint Renewals

So we didn't make it without having to renew our fingerprints at USCIS in Cleveland. Our original approval was set to expire the day we come home from Ethiopia, since they have to stay current through our travel time we had to renew. Thank goodness the first renewal is free. So we drove to cleveland yesterday an hour and a half, went to the office and got fingerprinted (which took 10 minutes) and drove an hour and a half home! I so can't wait for all this to be completed and to travel and bring our baby home for the holidays!

I have already started looking at Christmas presents (sad I know)!

Happy New Year!

Today is Enkutatash, or Ethiopain New Year.

Melkam Addis Amet = Happy New Year

and a great year it will be, our baby is coming home soon!!!!!!

Tentative Travel Dates

We received our email today with our tentative travel dates! We are one step closer to our baby. Pray with us that we pass court on October 10th, if we do we will be celebrating our 6th anniversary in Ethiopia. I can't think of a better way at all.

We also received pictures from the Pellizzari's on Monday. Daniel is getting so big and loves kisses. I can't wait to love on him and hold me myself.

Praise God we are one step closer! 30 more days till court and counting......

August Update

We received our August update today and Daniel has gained 2 more pounds putting him at a total of 12 pounds and 23 inches long. We also found out the following about him:

*He is lifing his chest and head up while on his tummy
*He reaches to grasp toys and objects
*He is easy going and playful
*He loves to laugh at the other babies while watching them

He is happy and healthy and growing! We can't wait to get him. Praise God for his health and the growth he is making, even if we aren't there to see it. God has big plans for this little boy and I can't wait to see what he is going to do with them.

Happy and Healthy

New pictures came today of Daniel from the Taylor's. They took awesome pictures and in everyone Daniel is smiling and in some laughing. I just love it. His little face is filling out and his cheeks are getting so chubby and round. I can't wait to see that sweet face other than in pictures. I can't stop staring at these pictures today, definitely not a productive day!!!!!!! Praise God that he is so happy and healthy!

Hold on baby, mommy and daddy are coming real soon.....

3rd Care Package

44 more days until our court date. I can't believe August is almost over even though I am honestly wishing the months away until we get to see that sweet face. We should be getting more pictures this week from The Taylors who travelled to pick up their sweet baby girl, she is a cutie. We should also receive our August update the end of this week or next week. I am so excited to see how much weight he has gained. I can't wait to post pictures for all of you to see. You will fall in love the minute you look at him. Of course I could be biased.

The pictures below are pictures of our 3rd care package that will be travelling with The Pellizzari's next week. I love knowing our little man is receiving so much love from the families travelling to pick up their kids and I can't wait to return the favor! Enjoy the pics:

2nd Care Package

We received more pictures today from The Gagnon's who just travelled to pick up their little girl. I love opening my email to the subject line "A** Pics" and opening the links to see that sweet face. He is getting so big and looks very healthy. I praise God for that everyday. We have sent a 2nd care package with a few outfits and a few rattles and toys that Daniel will be to big for by the time he comes home, with the Taylors. They are in Ethiopia right now and will see Daniel tomorrow.





This was an outfit we found at Wal*Mart. Across the front it says "Heaven Sent" which is appropriate since Daniel is completely a gift from God!!!!!

Court Date

We received a call from Anna today, our court date is October 10th. Yes that means we are caught up in court closures. They did everything they could to try and get us in before the closures but the courts would not budge. We are happy to know a court date that we can actually focus on even if it is 2 months away. I tried to prepare myself for getting caught in closures, still doesn't make it easy.

This week????

Will this be the week we get our court date? Only 2 days left......

July Information

We received our monthly update on Daniel today. He has gained 2.5 pounds in one month! He is getting bigger everyday. The update said that he is happy and loves to smile. The only time he cries is when he is hungry. He is now rolling over and can hold his head up when he is on his stomach. He is also making cooing noises. We are so desperatly praying for a court date soon!!!!! We also got 3 more pictures of him and a very good one of his face smiling (I think it is my favorite so far). One day soon we will be holding him, one day! But until then we will continue to praise God for the healthy, happy, smiling baby that has been the best gift we could have ever been given!!! We love him so much already, I can't imagine what is going to happen when we get to hold him for the first time. Stay tuned, the time is coming I can feel it.....

Update

We received an update today from Anna at AWAA on the status of Daniel's case. They have enough of the pieces of his profile to apply for a court date. This could take a couple of weeks to hear back from the courts what our date is. They still need one signature on a piece of the profile for us to be able to pass court, they are sure they will receive that signature in the next couple of weeks also. Meanwhile we sit here and wait, it has been almost 2 months since we first saw his face and we are so ready to hold him and love him. I know in God's time. There is also another little wrench in the process right now. Courts may be closing from Aug 22nd through Sept 30. If we do not receive a date before this time or pass court before this time, it will be early October before we go to court. So if you could all pray for a couple of things for us during this time:

1. Empathy from the person who schedules court that they will push us through and get us a court date quickly since the paperwork has been moving slowly through the system so far.

2. We receive and pass court before Aug 22nd.

3. Lastly for patience and understanding on our part. We have this picture of this little boy that we long to hold and love and become his parents. It is easy to get caught up in the why me, why our case, what are they doing, why is it taking so long, etc. We know in our hearts that this will all happen in God's time, sometimes that just seems to slip away in the heat of the moment.

Thank you all for your prayers, I know God has a plan for Daniel and it will be huge, on His time, not ours.

Baby Shower

We had our baby shower yesterday to prepare for Daniel. We were so overwhelmed with the love and generosity of our friends. We are officially ready for Daniel to come home, we just have to find room for all the gifts we received. The shower was beautiful, everyone did such a nice job that put it together for us. We decorated in the theme of his bedroom all the way down to the animal shaped cakes!!! Check out the slideshow posted to the left of pictures from this wonderful day!

Waiting Does Not Get Easier!

So we are still waiting on a court date. Waiting does not get easier, I think it may even be harder when you have a picture to look at and a face. I can't wait for all of you to meet Daniel, his eyes are mesmorizing, big and brown. The Kerby family sent us pictures yesterday they took of him last week. He looks like he has gained some weight and is very happy. We are not sure when we will get a court date, MOW@ has shut down from July 8th to July 24th for mandatory training from the government. Since you can't pass a court case without the letter of recommendation from MOW@, there will most likely not be any new court dates scheduled until July 27th and after. We are still not sure if the courts are going to shut down or not. If they are and we do not get a court date before Aug 7th we most likely will be waiting until October to travel.

Meanwhile we continue to wait and plan for Daniels arrival. Wonderful families are taking pictures and emailing them when they go to pick up their child and it helps to see those new pictures of him smiling and seeing that he is very well taken care of. When it is our turn we will be ready! Until then we wait.

Court News

I talked to our agency today about when we could expect a court date. We still have not received the profile for Daniel from the orphange. Our coordinator said she talked to the orphanage director today and our profile was in the last stages within the government before it comes to the agency here in the US. What this means for a court date is we will wait. They can not open a case until that paperwork is completed, they are optimistic that a case will be able to be opened next week. Court dates currently being assigned are mid to end of July. So that is most likely when our court date will be but you never know. A concern of ours is that we get through court before closures, closures are rumored to happen around August 7th though that has not been confirmed. We will be close. I know God can move mountains and make miracles happen. I pray that he is watching over our little boy and will help us to pass court before they close so we do not have to wait until October to pick him up. That would be a very long two months.

Meanwhile there is a family there taking pictures and loving on our little boy The Kerby's and there is another family leaving this week that is going to take more pictures and give our little boy more love. It is reassuring to know we will still see more pictures of him and people are loving him before we can get there to hold him. Praying for a fast resolution and court date so we can finally pick Daniel up!

Pictures & Waiting

I think this side of the waiting is a little harder than it was when we were waiting for a referral. We now have a picture we can stare at and believe me I can not stop staring! We are waiting anxiously for our court date, hopefully sometime this week we will find out. Meanwhile there is a family that is in Ethiopia this week that is delivering our care package and going to take more pictures for us. I can't wait to see more of him.

Meanwhile, as we wait paitently of course, many things are going on. This past weekend was Mark's birthday, we had a big cookout on Saturday with our family and friends. This coming weekend is the 4th of July and then next week is my birthday. We have planned the shower to be the following weekend the 12th and somewhere in there Mark has about 12 gigs with 2 different bands, and 2 golf outings. Good thing we are busy I think I would drive myself crazy!!!

Good news from the Ethiopia front. They are going to start reopening cases that were temporarily on hold from the abandonment investigation on July 2nd. Please pray with us that these families will pass as they have been waiting a very long time to hold their little ones.

Many have asked is we can post pictures of Daniel (that is what we are naming him by the way Daniel Kelile). Unfortunately we can not post any pictures on the internet or email until we pass court. I do have a photo album with his pictures though so if you want to come and visit stop on by and see our baby boy!!! I love saying that!

Pediatrician Interview

So we went to visit a pediatrician today to see if we would like her and get her opinion on Daniel's medical labs and pictures. We are so blessed to have found her, everything is falling in place just. She was very nice and personable. She went over all her meds and said she didn't see anything specific that we should be concerned about. We loved her and will definitely be going back. She spent over an hour with us just discussing our concerns and a plan for when we come back. Praise God for wonderful doctors and the people he puts in our paths just when we need them.

First Care Package

We sent our first care package to our baby boy today. There is a family, the Kerby's that are travelling next week to pick up their baby. We are so grateful for families traveling that take care packages, we also gave them a consent form so that they can take more pictures for us. We can't wait to get them. I love looking at his precious face. See our care package below:

Baby Stuff

Well today we signed our offical referral acceptance letter and mailed it off to America World. We knew from the minute we say this precious baby boy that we were accepting his referral but I had to go out of town Friday and Thursday the day we got the referral was filled with way to excitement and busyness so we did it today it is at UPS waiting to be picked up first thing on Monday morning. Yeah!!!!!! On our way to a court date. Oh did I mention that while I was gone yesterday Mark bought a car. This week has been crazy with excitement and change. Here is how it has gone so far:

Monday - Mark started back to work. YEAH!!!!!
Thursday - Referral call (One of the top moments of my life so far)
Friday - Mark bought a car (Jeep Cherokee - that we so badly need so we are not trying to get an infant in and out of the backseat of a Cavalier or Sunfire, that both are only 2 doors)

Saturday - Register for baby shower

Yes, tonight we tackled the task of registering for our baby's stuff. It was fun picking out all the stuff that our baby will use. The whole time we were walking around babies r us saying "We have no clue what we are doing". Really not sure I registered for enough bottles and I know there is a lot of stuff we completely left off. Any mom's reading out there that can offer suggestions, please do!!!!! Grandma went with us while we registered, she was so funny. When we got in the car to leave she was like, why didn't we just buy it all now. She cracks me up!!!!!

Oh well it is about midnight and i haven't really slept since the call Thursday. One hundred and one things to do and I am running out of time to do them. It will all get done, it always does.

Unbelieveable

So it has been almost 24 hours since we got the news. I can't stop staring at that precious face. I can't believe he will be ours. One look and instantly you will fall in love. It has been a long 8 months 2 weeks and 2 days that we waited to see that precious face. I don't think I would have changed the wait time for anything though looking back, so much was learned and we grew so much in our faith. God has big plans for this little guy I just know it and I am proud already to be his mom. It is truly amazing how you can love someone so much that you don't even know.

It still feels like a dream.......

We Got It!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We got the call today! We got a referral for a beautiful 3 month old baby boy. I can't share much more than that until after we pass court but I can't stop looking at his picture. I just want to hold him!!!!! After lunch today I was checking the Yahoo Group and noticed that the family on the list ahead of us got their referral. I called Mark and said "we're next" and when we hung up, I jokingly said keep your phone handy it could be today. Literally 10-15 minutes later I was in my boss's office telling her and she was like it could be before the end of today and then my phone rang, I looked at it and looked at her and was like this is it! I don't think I could even describe the feeling when Terra said I have a potential referral for you. My heart was racing and I couldn't stop shaking, she tried to get Mark to conference him in and his phone didn't ring at his office so I told her I would call her back in a minute. I got Mark on the phone and then conferenced in Terra (didn't even know I could do that until that minute) and she told us the news. I told my boss when I got off the phone, I have to go I can't wait to see his pictures. I went to Mark's office and that is where we saw the most beautiful precious baby boy and he is ours (unofficially until we pass court). I can't believe this is happening, it seems so surreal. We went to Outback and had dinner to celebrate. We have waited so long for this day, praises to God. It could only happen by way of him.

Now we have to pray to pass court, we will be one of the first families with an abandoned child to go through courts since the investigation. They don't see any problems happening but as we have seen you never know. So please pray for us that we will pass court quickly so we can hold our precious baby boy and show you guys the pictures!!!!!

Stay tuned it is about to get interesting................

"Thank you God for your mercy and your grace and the way you work amazing things in our lives. Even when our faith was thin we knew that it would happen in your time. Thank you for this amazing gift you have given us, we get to be parents to this precious child. You are truly truly amazing! In your name I pray. Amen"

ON DECK!!!!!!

So I went to a training class this morning and got back to my desk about 10:30 to check my email. I was so excited and in shock to see the subject "On Deck" from Terry Bailey. I have been waiting for this email for a long time! My heart started racing and my hands were shaking as I called Mark to tell him. This feels so real and soon we will see our baby's face. Do you believe it?!?!?!

What does on deck mean you might ask? We should receive our referral (child's profile, medical, picture) within the next 1-2 months. Keep praying we will receive our referral soon! Then this waiting game is over and the court waiting game starts but we will know our son's age and weight and see his precious face. It brings tears to my eyes just thinking about that day. My phone will be glued to my hand at all times until that call comes in. Stay tuned, it is about to get really interesting.....

Praise God!

Where My Heart Is

Confessions, Prayer and Friends

Tonight I had the opportunity to do something that was absolutely amazing. The volunteers for CRASH (our middle school program at church) got together for a Prayer Meeting. I was really unsure as to what would take place and a little anxious going in. Coming out of it I can tell you I am totally 100% at peace knowing that God is in control of my life, work, children and family and I don't have to stress about it or worry over it. How did I get there you might ask? Well the meeting was held in sections, read scriptures together or whoever felt like reading read it out loud, sing a worship song or two (lead by one of our praise singers who is absolutely wonderful) pray for a minute thanking God for who he is, pray thanking him for the blessings in our lives, pray confessioning our sins, read some more scriptures, listen and sing more songs, pray about a need you have, prayer for your family and their needs, more scriptures, more songs, pray for the students of CRASH, pray for their families, more scriptures, more songs, etc. The night was two hours of us and God. Somewhere in that prayer time I felt this calm come over me like the song I have been listening to, I felt his arms around me telling me that we would be ok. Our baby will be here when he is ready, our baby is in good hands and is one of his children. God is there loving our baby when we can't be. It is amazing how this happens.

My prayer tonight is for all those waiting and those with heavy hearts or burdened hearts that you can feel the peace and calm that only God can provide. We are in his hands and we will be ok.

I thank you Lord for the amazing gifts of grace, mercy and love that you have shown me throughout this process. As the song says, "I can't do this alone, Lord I need you to hold on to me". When we become still Lord it is amazing that feeling of your arms around us. I thank you for the friends and people that you have put in our lives to help us through this tiime of waiting even if they don't realize that is what they are doing. I love you Lord, I love you Lord, I love you. that is all I can say right now. Thanks for loving me when I don't deserve it. Thanks for protecting me and guiding me through the hurt and the pain. I can't do this along and I am so thankful that I don't have to. It is in your name I pray. Amen

More Delay's

I received an email from Nicole at AWAA today. Due to the increase in abandonment cases in Addis Ababa the last few months, MOW@ and the ET government are not processing any abandonment adoptions. They are investigating extensively the abandonment cases to ensure that there is no corruption going on. While on one hand this is a good thing on the other it is going to delay or slow down the process with our agency. AWAA is not going to process any referrals that are abandoned children until they have more information on the investigations and process. This only comes to around 25% of their referrals but that is still a pretty big chunk and will slow down the referral process some and increase wait times. I know that this is all in God's plan and we will see our son and hold him when God is ready. May 26th will be 8 months waiting. Currently I am preparing myself to not pick up or hold my child until after court closures in October. As hard as this is for me to do, it is easier than getting my hopes up to pass court before closures and then dealing with the crash of that wasn't in God's plan. I am grateful that the Ethiopian government is taking such great strides in making this a process that is binding, no corruption so there is no question in the future. For them to do that we will need to be patient and hold on to hope that one day we will get our boy.

Please pray with us that the government will quickly complete their investigation and processing their paperwork so the referrals can start flowing again like rain.

Tonight as I finish this post to update the 2 people that read this I am playing these two songs in my head (I have been listening to them non stop for awhile but they are heavy on my heart especially right now):

Savior, Please
by: Josh Wilson

Savior please take my hand // I work so hard, I live so fast//This life begins, and then it ends//And I do the best that I can, but I don't know how long I'll last//
I try to be so tough//But I'm just not strong enough//I can't do this alone, God I need you to hold on to me//I try to be good enough// But I'm nothing without your love//Savior, please keep saving me//Savior please help me stand//I fall so hard, I fase so fast//Will You begin right where I end//And be the God of all I am because You're all I have//Hallelujah//Everything You are to me//is everything I'll ever need//And I am learning to believe//That I don't have to prove a thing//'Cause You're the one who's saving me

Hold Me Jesus
by: Big Daddy Weave
Sometimes my life just don't make sense at all//When the mountain looks so big//And my faith just seems so small//So hold me Jesus,//'cause I'm shakin' like a leaf//You have been King of my Glory//Won't you be my Prince of Peace //When I wake up in the night I feel the dark//It's so hot inside my soul//I swear there must be blisters on my heart//So hold me Jesus, 'cause I'm shakin' like a leaf//You have been King of my Glory//Won't you be my Prince of Peace//Surrender don't come natural to me//I'd rather fight you for something I don't really want//Than to take what you give that I need//And I've beat my head against so many walls//I'm falling down, falling on my knees//God please//
And the Salvation Army band is playing this hymn//And your grace rings out so deep
It makes my resistance seem so thin//So hold me Jesus, 'cause I'm shakin' like a leaf//You have been King of my Glory//Won't you be my Prince of Peace

As I listen to these songs I trust in God to provide, I trust in him to keep our baby boy safe and I trust in him to give us peace during this time of waiting. I also ask that you pray for all the families that are waiting with us.

"Lord, give us the strength that only you can give during this already difficult time of waiting that just got a whole lot harder. I know Lord that you know when the end of this will come, there is a reason behind all this that only you know. I pray that you are with the family of our little boy as they make the difficult decisions they will have to make and give them peace that he will be loved and will be raised to know you. I pray for all the families that are in this boat with us, Lord give them the same peace and comfort knowing it is all in your hands. We love you and we thank you for this journey we are on to glorify you. In your name I pray. Amen"

Court, Referrals & Mother's Day

We were so excited three weeks ago when the referrals came rolling in on a Friday. We were bumped up to number 7ish (give or take a few mystery families). Since then there has only been 1 referral that we know of. That is the nature of the waiting game, you have the highs and the lows. Since we passed the 7 month waiting mark it seems to get harder and harder to wait patiently. Sunday is Mother's Day and as much as I love my mother's and grandmothers it is not going to be an easy day. Last year on Mother's Day we were so hopeful we would have a little boy by now. It was just not in God's plan for that to happen this year. Now I am not giving up hope there are still a few hours left today that referrals could come in but I highly doubt one will be ours. To make Sunday even harder it is Baby Dedication at church. The last few years since we have been trying I try to avoid Baby Dedication Sunday, it is to hard on my heart since I so badly want to be a mother up there dedicating my baby. I know that one day we will dedicate our son in front of the whole congregation and we will be happier than ever. But this year will not be that year. I know this post is kind of down and not very hopeful but hey everyone has their moments and this weekend seems to be mine. I know God has picked out the perfect child that we will one day soon see and I will continue to have faith and pray to the One who is in control until that day comes. Right now I am going to pray to make it through this weekend and not be an emotional wreck (very doubtful).

Also there are a lot of families that will be going to court the rest of this month. Please pray that their court dates will go smoothly and they can bring their children home to their forever families!

Lyrics & Waiting

Isn't it funny how words when put into a song can make you see the bigger picture better than someone telling you face to face? This "waiting" time we are in right now is starting to test my patience. We are waiting for a referral, waiting for a job opportunity, waiting for warmer weather, waiting for the sun, etc. It just seems like we are waiting and waiting but nothing is happening. Everyone keeps telling me (including myself) that everything will happen in God's timing, in his plan. In my heart I know that is true but for someone who pretty much needs to be in control at all times, waiting is the hardest part. Anyway, back to the lyrics, I just bought this cd by Richie McDonald "I Turn to You". There is a song on it that I listen to everyday since I bought it on my way to work and on my way home called "Hey God". I turn the stereo up loud (probably to loud) and sing at the top of my lungs with the song. The lyrics that really get me are:

"You have your ways, you have your plan
Sometimes mysterious and hard to understand
I am humbled by your grace and everything you do
Hey, God, hey God, I just wanna thank you

Sometimes I forget to stop and bow my head
And remember that I have been blessed

Oh, you have your ways, you have your plan
Sometimes mysterious and hard to understand
I am humbled by your grace and everything you do
Hey, God, hey, God, I just wanna thank you

Thank you"

Sometimes I think we get in our own way to the point where we can't see the joys and blessings God has already given us. We only see what we are waiting for and what we want to happen now. Our plan and God's plan most likely are not the same, or maybe they are and the timing is just off.

So I will go back to waiting patiently with a cheerful heart, thanking God for everything he has blessed me with and for his love and grace.

Video of Ethiopia

A family made this video montage of pictures from Ethiopia. They are already home with their cute little boy. I can't wait to go! Praying for more referrals! Enjoy!

http://www.onetruemedia.com/shared?p=88cf010963f55dd4854cfb&skin_id=601&utm_source=otm&utm_medium=text_url

What is a Referral?

We have been asked many times what is a referral? When we finally get the referral we will receive a picture, medical information and what background is available for the child. We then will make the decision to either accept or not take the referral. Once we accept a referral then we wait for a court day, but we will know the age and size and have pictures (that we will not be able to post until we pass court). Once we pass court we can post the pictures and information on our little boy. Right now the time from accepting a referral to going to court is about 2 months. Once we pass court we should travel 2 weeks after. Hopefully we pass on the first time, right now about 30% of people do not pass court the first time due to some paperwork issues.

Do Dreams Really Come True?

The anxiousness is starting! So far for April there have been 3 girls and 4 boys referred this week. We are around number 7ish for a boy (give or take a few mystery families not on the yahoo group). Can you believe it? It seems like yesterday we were saying we are around number 30ish. Even though the waiting is getting harder and I have officially become obsessed with checking the YG for referral posts and on deck emails, we are getting extremely excited. Everytime I log in my email and it tells me I have 1 new email, my heart almost stops and I think could this be our "On Deck" email. Everytime my phone vibrates or rings once again my heart skips a beat until I see that it is not AWAA calling. I can not even imagine what it will be like when we do receive the on deck email and we are at the top of the YG for a boy. I am going to have major OCD. I am ready to start packing and planning the shower and buying stuff! Oh the things we learn from waiting. I am getting major lessons in patience from God. (not one of my best talents at all) I will keep you posted I am sure everyone will hear me screaming when the time comes.

I can't imagine what it will be like to see that precious baby's face. I have seen him in my dreams the last few months. I can see the big brown eyes looking at me and that smiling face. I even dreamed him in the pajama's that we bought for him. Do you think he will look anything like my dream? Only God knows, he has the perfect child picked out just for us. Someone who needs a mom and dad that will love him to pieces. Like I have said before, how can you love someone so much already that you haven't even seen or don't even know. Is it just the love of a mother?

March Referrals

What a great month March was for referrals and court dates. There were around 21 referrals in March and a ton of families that passed court. The week of 3-25 5 families travelled to pick up their children, the week of 4-11 7 families (possibly more) will be travelling and so far the week of 4-23 4 families are travelling. One family that has had their referral and stuck in the court process for 6 months passed court today!!! Praise God, he can truly move the mountains. Keep praying with us that April will be just as good. From my count we are around number 11ish for a boy (could me a little more due to mystery families that we don't know about on YG (yahoo group)). We could potentially have a referral in the next couple of months, though I am trying not to set my expectations to high. But the Lord knows I am ready to see my baby boy's sweet face. I know God has the perfect child in mind for us, we just have to be patient and wait (I am so not very good at the waiting part).

Why Adopt From Ethiopia

~ 1 in 10 children die before their 1st birthday
~ 1 in 6 children die before their 5th birthday
~ 44% of the population in Ethiopia is under 15 years old
~ Half the children in Ethiopia will never attend school
~ 88% will never attend secondary school
~ Ethiopia's doctor to children ratio is 1 to 24,000
~ Ethiopia has approximately 4.3 million orphans and the country is twice the size of Texas
~ Per capita, Ethiopia receives less aid than any country in Africa
~ 1.5 million people are infected with AIDS (6th highest in the world)
~ A child adopted in a christian home is a child who will know the love of Christ!
~ 720,000 children have been orphaned by AIDS alone
~ 60% of children in Ethiopia are stunted because of malnutrition
~ The median age is 17.8 years old
~ Per capita, receives less aid than any country in Africa
~ In the 90's the population grew faster (3%) than food production (2%)
~ Drought struck the country from 2000-2002 (first year no crops, second year no seeds, third year no animals)
~ In 1993, after 30 long years of war, broke from and became an independent nation leaving landlocked without any major seafaring ports

6 Months Waiting

We are officially 6 months waiting today. It doesn't get any easier, possibly it gets harder. March has been a great month for referrals and court. There have been a ton of referrals (a lot of girls) and quite a few families have travelled to pick up their little ones. We continue to pray and dream of the day we get "the call" that says today is your day, we have a little boy here just for you! Time is coming, I know we need to wait patiently for God has a plan and it will happen in his time and according to his will. We are going to celebrate and praise God like there is no tomorrow when we get that call. Meanwhile we continue to prepare, decorating his room and putting toys away. Keep praying with us for more referrals and passing of court so as families rejoice in picking up thier children we are one step closer to seeing our sweet baby boy for the first time!

Moving Court Dates

Praise God - court dates are moving again in Ethiopia!!!!! Several families posted on the YG (yahoo group) that their dates have moved from the end of April to the end of March. There are approximately 19 families with court in March that we know of. This is truly a work of God. MOW@ decided to process more than 20 requests a day and another judge has just come back to work. The faster families move through court, the quicker they can pick up their kids making more room for kids at the TH (transition home) which means more referrals YEAH!!!!! Keep praying with us that with this transition - more referrals will be passed out and moved through court before court closures from August-October. We do not want to get caught up in court closures. Praying for a referral in the next couple of months!!!!!

Age Request Increase

After talking about it Mark and I put in a request to increase our age range for a boy. We were requesting 0-6 months and we have now changed to 0-14 months. Most requests are within the 0-12 month range so maybe this will cut down the wait time a little bit. We know God already has the child and their age picked out that he is going to provide for us, we just have to be patient!

There was another referral for an infant girl yesterday, keep praying for those referrals!!!! We need to see some referrals for boys now!

Where You Least Expect It

Sometimes God puts people in your path in the places you least expect. Mark and I went to a conference in Kentucky this past weekend with our Jr high kids from the church. I go every year it is an amazing experience and lots of fun. The conference is for two days, we go swimming at the Y and then do a homeless outreach project in downtown Cincinnatti on Sunday. While we were there Mark met a couple from Cleveland that just came home with thier little boy from Ethiopia, he was 2 and so cute. It was nice to talk to a person face to face about their experience of traveling and bringing their child home. (which by the way just made me want it to happen even quicker) They told us they had also met another family that was in the process of adopting from Ethiopia from America World (our agency) earlier in the weekend. You never know where you are going to meet the people that are on the same journey as you. It is all in God's plan!

So we will officially be 5 months waiting tomorrow. The first 4 months seemed to go by quickly but now the time is dragging, I am ready to see at least a picture of our baby boy. I know all in God's time it will happen. Sometimes you have to just keep telling yourself that. Keep praying for referrals for February, there were 10 referrals in the first two weeks mostly for girls and older children. We also need to pray for families to pass court so they can travel to pick up their little ones which will open up more room in the transition home for more children, which means more referrals.

4 Months Waiting

We were officially 4 months waiting for a referral yesterday. The wait times are estimated about 9 months for an infant boy right now so we are approximately 1/2 way there. January was a good referral month so far for AWAA - if I have counted right there have been approximately 19 referrals total. What a good start to the year, praise God! We keep praying for God to continue moving through this process as quickly as he has in the past month, who knows maybe it will be less than 9 months for a referral for us!!!!

Please Pray

Friday January 16th, 2009

Please join us in praying tonight for various families that have recieved referrals from AWAA. They found out today that the ET government representative has "changed her mind" about writing their recommendation letter because of a license issue with this particular orphanage. They are to go to court on Tuesday and if there is any hope in them passing there will need to be a miracle by the hands of God. Please pray with us because he is almighty and can make miracles happen. Please pray for the following, we know from experience that there is power in prayer!!!!

*Pray that God will change "M" at agency's heart
*Pray that the case worker in Ethiopia will find documentation of prior cases similar to theirs that would ease "M" hear and make her willing to write the letter of recommendation
*Also pray that the families will remain faithful at this difficult time
*Pray that God will bring these children home to their Forever Families

More Vaccinations

Second round of vaccinations is complete! We got our second shot for the Hepatitis A & B. One more to go!!! Yesterday 4 referrals came through 2 boys and 2 girls, praise God! We are praying that 2009 brings lots of referrals. The more that come in the quicker we get to meet our son. It is hard to believe that sometime this year we will be parents. It seems so unreal.

Ethiopian Christmas Eve

Tuesday January 6th, 2009

Today is Christmas Eve in Ethiopia. Someone posted this link for a website that gives ideas how to celebrate.

http://www.ehow.com/how_10775_celebrate-ethiopian-christmas.html

Merry Christmas Eve!!!!