The Heddleson Family - According to God's Plan

The blur that was Christmas

2012-01-09T22:20:00.000-05:00

Christmas has come and gone again and I am not even sure where it went. I know it was here due to the disarray my house is in! Daniel was so fun this Christmas, since he is talking quite a bit more and very opinionated. After every picture we tried to take he would boldly proclaim "We're done now" and walk away. Trying to get a good Christmas picture was a challenge. He loves to dance and jump, too bad the camera doesn't love when he dances and jumps.

We tried to explain to Daniel that Christmas was Jesus birthday. Try explaining that to a 2 year old that finally just got what a Birthday means, cake and presents. He cried and in the middle of sobbing he would say "no my birthday". Finally he understood a little but I still don't think he liked it. The next thing that was so hard to explain was not every present was for him. One night after supper we told him we were going to go Christmas shopping to buy presents, to which he responded "buy a present for me", again a melt down when we explained no. When we got to the store we told Daniel he had to pick out toys for other little boys that maybe weren't going to get presents otherwise. And que another meltdown! Finally he calmed down and I think he really understood. He went down the car aisle (for anyone that knows Daniel this was probably killing him to go down this aisle and not get anything for himself he loves cars) and picked out some monster trucks and hot wheels. After that every time we went to the store he wanted to get presents for "boys that didn't have presents". Christmas with a 2 year old is fun!

Christmas eve Daniel set out cookies for Santa, like 10 cookies and 5 carrots. When we set them on the toy box, Daniel climbed up and grabbed a cookie and helped himself to Santa's snack.

In the morning that was the first thing he looked for. He wasn't so happy that Santa ate his cookies. For Christmas all Daniel asked for was cookies. He was so fun. Here is a video of him opening one of his presents:

Christmas morning before we left the house we sang Happy Birthday to Jesus, I believe this will be one of my favorite Christmas Traditions. Christmas is my favorite time of year. I pray everyday that next year we at least have a picture of our baby boy, that will be the best Christmas present ever. Until then we will enjoy everyday as a family of 3 and thank God for the precious gift of his son on that winter's morning.

Seeing Yourself Through God's Eyes

2011-12-13T13:55:00.002-05:00

I started this reading plan through Youversion.com - it is the Joyce Meyer Promises for Your Life Daily Devotional. It should take a year to complete. At the rate I am going it will take me a year and a half! Anyway, today I was catching up on some of the missed devotionals I have piled up and thought I would share.

For anyone that has been through, is going through, has followed someones journey through and prayed for an adoption specifically international adoption I hope this devotion speaks to your heart. The very first line "Whatever you are facing in life, or whatever is coming, God has already given you the faith for it." is so true, yet so hard to grasp when you are in the midst of a struggle, a time of "Why is this happening (or not happening)" or unsure of your path. You already have the faith to make it through the storm you just need to act! You have to release your faith in order for it to work, through works, actions and prayer. Faith is there, we just have to act upon it!

I also love the line "faith in God isn't based on our circumstances or how we feel.". Through our adoption with Daniel, through the red tape, the struggles and the year long wait to bring him home. I never lost my faith in God, that in his timing He would bring our baby home. We prayed constantly, asked people to pray and in the midst of it all we found ways to help and raise donations for other orphans.

Now we are starting a new journey, we have been officially waiting for 1 month and this is a great reminder to hold on to our faith.

Below is the devotion. My prayer is that it speaks to everyone reading as loud as it spoke to me.

Faith to See Yourself Through God's Eyes
Whatever you're facing in life, or whatever is coming in your future, God has already given you the faith for it. It may not look like it, and you may not feel like you have what it takes to overcome, but faith in God isn't based on our circumstances or how we feel.

The enemy would like for you to believe that you don't have a chance in life, that you're too weak, too poor, too whatever. But God has a different view of you. God sees you through the eyes of love. He sees not what you can be, but what He has invested in you, not what you or others may see.

Seeing yourself the way God sees you leads to a life of overwhelming victory.
But it takes faith. You can't just hear that God loves you and sees you as His child, you have to believe it. It takes faith to move forward and overcome the challenges of life. And faith does you no good if you don't know how to release it. You have to release your faith in order for it to work.

We release faith through our words, actions and, of course, through prayer. It's up to us to act.

First John 4:4 is a scripture we quote a lot, and almost anytime I say this verse in a church or meeting, everybody claps and cheers. But how many people really believe that "He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world?"

The truth is, the One in you is greater and He loves you. So stretch your faith today and see yourself the way God sees you. It doesn't matter what the enemy wants you to see or how things might look. Our faith overcomes through the One who lives in us!

You dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. -1 John 4:4

May we never forget the One in us is greater than anything in this world and He loves us so! Today I find comfort in reading and knowing I am loved by Him.

DTE 11-11-11

2011-11-11T20:01:00.001-05:00

We are finally DTE!!! As of 11-11-11 we are officially waiting for a referral. You are probably wondering what that means if you are not in the adoption world right now. DTE means Dossier to Ethiopia, a dossier is our packet of paperwork that we have spent months gathering to get to this point. This does not mean we have a child already. We are just "in line" so to speak for a referral. We are requesting a boy age 0-2 and probably won't receive a referral call for 10-16 months, based on the trends today.

This time is exciting for us and kind of nerve racking based on our last experience, but praise God we are one step closer to our baby boy. Waiting seems to be the hardest part of this journey for me, especially since everything I am waiting on is out of my control. That is probably part of God's plan to help me learn patience and I can not control everything, His plan is way better than mine anyway!

I want to share with you a few verses that I held on to while we were waiting to bring Daniel home, and will hold on to while we wait to bring this baby home (we need to come up with a name):

Psalm 9:10 - He performs wonders that cannot be fathomed, miracles that cannot be counted.

Isaiah 26: 3-4 - You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you. Trust in the Lord forever for the Lord, the Lord is the rock eternal.

Hebrews 12:1 - Let us run with endurance the race that God has set before us.

James 1:3-4 - For when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.

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

Now as I type this I wonder if our child is already born (with our age range he could be) or is his mom already carrying him in her belly. Will he have a cute button nose and big brown eyes like Daniel? What will his giggle sound like? Will he be outgoing or will he be shy? Only God knows because he has the perfect child already in mind for our family. Just like he did with Daniel. I really can't wait to see what the next few months bring and to watch God's plan for our family play out. I haven't even met this baby boy or seen a picture and I am already love him so much.

I am going to close this post with the following poem I found online (author unknown):

The Gift of Life

I didn't give you the gift of life,
But in my heart I know.
The love I feel is deep and real,
As if it had been so.
For us to have each other
Is like a dream come true!
No, I didn't give you
The gift of life.
Life gave me the gift of you.

That is what Daniel is to us, a Gift. We are so blessed and we are the lucky ones to have that special boy in our family. And so will our next baby boy. Oh I can't wait to hold him and kiss him, it's going to be a long year!

Happy Halloween

2011-11-02T21:51:00.000-04:00

Happy Halloween (2 days later)! Daniel had fun this Halloween after we convinced him to put his costume on and that it was ok to go Trick or Treating. First the costume, I bought him this cute Scarecrow costume. His response the first time we tried to put it on "No mommy, it scare me". Since the name of the costume was Scare...crow, he was convinced he would be scared. Only my child. We finally got it on him and he made the cutest scarecrow ever (I am only a little biased).

Next the night before Halloween we were trying to explain to him the concept of trick or treating (we only go to like 5 houses of people we know, babysitter, parents, etc.). He would not give in, he kept saying "No". When I asked him why, his response "No mommy it will be to dark". Really, what child will pass up candy because of the dark. So we came home and went right at 5, to make sure it was not dark while we were out there (the whole 45 minutes we were out, which was mostly spent visiting).

The first house that gave him a sucker, he wasn't even off of the porch before he had it open and in his mouth. He would not let go of his bucket for anything. No one was going to take his candy away. Overall a great Halloween with family, friends and candy!

703 Area Code = Racing Heart

2011-10-31T15:16:00.001-04:00

I had forgotten the feeling you get when you are in the adoption process and your phone rings and you see (703) as the first 3 numbers on the caller id. Your heart starts racing and your stomach drops. Crazy since we aren't even DTE yet, that feeling never goes away! Friday afternoon I got a call from our adoption agency, we submitted all our paperwork (dossier) last week, and our family coordinator Jennifer told me that Mark didn't sign our application letter. Now for those of you who know me, know that I went through that packet at least 3 times before mailing to make sure every t was crossed and every i was dotted. Somehow I missed the fact that I didn't give him that letter to sign.

Well no big deal, I just had to print another one, have both of us sign the letter and get it notarized and at UPS to mail next day by 6:00. This was about 2:30 that I got the phone call. So I did just that, my friend was available to notarize and Mark and I signed, we were at UPS by 5:20. All was good. I paid the $26.75 to mail next day with 10:30 delivery for Monday morning. If all this happened then we would be able to be DTE by Friday Nov 4th. (only 4 days off of my goal of the end of October by the way). Great.

Well today Monday about 2:00, I am at home sick, laying on the couch and my phone rings. I look down and there is that (703) on the caller id again. Heart racing, stomach dropped, crazy I know. It was our family coordinator again, asking if we were able to get the letter in the mail. I immediately said, it was suppose to be delivered by 10:30. So she checked and it had not been delivered. I called UPS and long story short after making phone calls and waiting for them to call me back, they really don't know where our letter is. Due to storms on the east coast things have been delivered late. I know I should be sympathetic but it was extremely important that that paper get to AWAA by noon today. They are still tracking our letter and it should be out for delivery by tomorrow. To late. Our paperwork will be delayed another week and we will not be DTE (dossier to Ethiopia, officially waiting for a referral) until next Friday November 11th. They are refunding our shipping costs, which I would have paid 2x's that much to ensure it would have been there today by noon as promised.

I know things happen for a reason, but a little piece of paper getting delayed in delivery, come on. So the adoption roller coaster has begun. We were just saying that we have had a pretty easy ride so far in the paper gathering. Praying this is the biggest delay we see in this adoption process, but I know it won't be from experience. It is only the beginning, I just have to remind myself that God's timing and plan are way better than my timing or plan anyway!

So we are praying for a miracle, the letter is delivered before the end of today and by the grace of God we are able to be submitted by Friday. It's a long shot, but He can make it happen. And I am almost 100% sure that will not be the last time my phone will ring with that (703) area code and my heart will start racing and my stomach drop as I answer and hear on the other side, "Hi this is Jennifer from America World".

Fall Family Fun

2011-10-26T22:07:00.002-04:00

Fall is my favorite time of year. It is not very hot, but not yet snowing. The colors are beautiful in the trees, although this year they leave just seem to be dying instead of changing to bright pretty colors. Apple cider, donuts, homemade baked goods all add to some of the favorite things in fall. The smell of bonfires, football and leaves. I just love everything about fall. We got engaged in the fall and we got married in the fall. In fact, yesterday marked 8 years since we got married. Here is one of our favorite pictures from this day.

I would definitely do it all over again. That day was the day God put us on an amazing journey together. Little did we know 8 years later we would have already been 1/2 way around the world once to adopt the best baby boy, and on our way again.

The best anniversary present yesterday was the fact that we put our Dossier packet in the mail to AWAA yesterday. For those of you who are wondering, a dossier is the packet of paperwork, we have went crazy for the last 4 months gathering. We have all our documents in the mail and everything is now out of our hands. Let the waiting begin. This is to me the hardest part of the adoption process, waiting with no control over time frame or when things are processed. Especially for someone who likes to have control over everything. But we did it once, and in God's perfect timing we will receive a picture of a baby boy (who Daniel has now named "Baby monkey brother") who God hand picked to be part of our family. Sometimes it is just hard to remember that God's timing is better than our timing, even though we don't see the light at the end of the tunnel all the time.

So what is the next step: AWAA reviews and translates our documents and within 1-2 weeks we will be DTE (Dossier to Ethiopia), then the real wait begins. The wait time currently for a referral for a boy is 10-16 months. Praying that it is a shorter wait, but experience tells me that it will not be.

Back to our family fall fun! This month we went back to OU (Ohio University) where Mark graduated for Homecoming. This was the first time Daniel has been there, he loved it. At OU for Homecoming the Alumni band marches in the parade and does the half time and post game show. Daniel loved watching daddy play drums.

We also rented a cabin for the weekend and spent some much needed family time. Daniel was so excited to go to the cabin and cook hot dogs. I think he told everyone he was doing that for a week. It was so fun, the cabin was in Hocking Hills in a "secluded" area. When we pulled up I was not so sure. There was a house close to the cabin but once we got back there was a tree line so we were secluded. Daniels favorite part I think was the fact that he could eat dinner and watch Mickey Mouse club house at the same time since the table was in the living room. It was so nice to just relax like a family of three and enjoy each others company. No cell phones, computers or distractions.

The picture to the left of Daniel on the drive way was at our cabin. Sunday we spent the morning at Old Man's Cave. Daniel liked the big rocks and water. We had bought him a football at OU and he insisted on carrying it while we hiked through the cave. Which made me quite nervous since one slip and he drops it, it was gone. Luckily he did not drop it and the football made it home.

It was a wonderful weekend of family, friends and fall fun. Weekends like this are what the fall is all about, bonfires, parades, football and family.

Retreat Anyone?

2011-09-27T12:16:00.002-04:00

A couple of weeks ago another adoptive mom and friend emailed me about this retreat, Created for Care. It is a ministry that puts on this retreat, it was created by adoptive moms for adoptive moms. I had never heard of it, or if I did I did not pay attention before. She told me it would be fun if I could go go, she had just registered and it was the first day of registration. Apparently for 2011 retreat registration filled up in 48 hours. So I thought about it, this would be a huge stretch of my comfort zone, going to a retreat with only myself and meeting up with some friends, whom I have only really talked to through emails and texting. Anyone who knows me knows this is the kind of thing that makes it hard for me to breathe. But I thought what the heck, I need to do more to get out of my comfort zone and how fun would it be to spend a weekend with other mom's, mom's to be, etc. who all have one thing in common - ADOPTION. Since we are in the beginning of our 2nd adoption This might be a great time to connect with other mom's before our road gets rocky and we really need the support of others on the same journey. I know we will need that support, we have been there done that! Well in the 10 minutes it took for me to decide yes I am going to go, registration was full! 400 women in something crazy like 9 hours. Tell me Adoptive mom's don't need somewhere to bond, connect and relax! I was really bummed since I was really looking forward to spending time with my friend Holly. Holly took pictures of Daniel before we were able to bring him home, and we started the process together for the 2nd time at the same time. So I did what everyone else did and added my name to the wait list and was waiting.

Well on Sunday I got an email from Created for Care that they were opening up a 2nd Retreat in March. Well since I was on the waiting list for January I have already registered but for all the rest of you reading this who have not registered or didn't get in in time for January - registration opens tonight for the March retreat at midnight! From what I read and see you probably want to wait up and get on that list as soon as possible.

I have never been to this retreat but from what I have read on their facebook page and website and just listening to those that have been there it is amazing and definitely worth the time. I can't wait to go and connect and make some new friends (and yes just saying that makes my heart skip beats with anxiety). The following was taken from their website www.createdforcare.org describing the retreat:

Created for Care is a non-profit ministry designed to encourage, equip and bring rest to adoptive families through yearly retreats. Because leaving little ones can be difficult, we began our ministry with retreats for moms--but we record all of the sessions so both parents can benefit from the time of encouragement and insight shared from counselors and other adoptive moms. Our retreats always fill up quickly, and we truly believe God is in the midst of doing something amazing through them. He loves orphans too much to leave them orphans. And He loves your family too much to not lead you, love you and carry you on the rest of your journey as you raise your sons and daughters for His glory. Come join us at the next retreat...

So here is the information for how you can also come along to this retreat, visit:

www.createdforcare.org

You can see the schedule of events, the lodge (it is beautiful) and the dates and times. I hope you see you there!

Nervousness = Nachos!

2011-09-21T21:32:00.000-04:00

What happens when you are nervous, anxious, worried and most of all hungry? Usually no dinner equals eat everything in sight by 10:00 here. Only thing is when I am stressed, nervous and anxious I am usually hungry for nothing but junk food. Tomorrow Daniel is going to go in for surgery tomorrow, this is the surgery that was suppose to happen in July. And of course this morning he woke up with a stuffy nose and slight cough. Fortunately we still had some medicine from the last time (I think this is all allergies as mine are bad this week) so we gave him the breathing treatments all day. We are praying that they will do the surgery and we will be done with this mess. It is just a minor procedure but the anaesthetic still has me worried. I know faith in God means trusting him completely and trusting that he will watch over us and everything will be OK. I know it will I am just by nature a worrier. I will keep you updated tomorrow either with "we are relaxing in bed watching movies all day" or "ugh they didn't do it again". I know it will be the first one.

Anyway Back to the food. So tonight I was starving for the BBQ chicken nachos from Smokey Bones. No time to run up and get some, plus I don't want to pay for them. So I created my own version. Below is the recipe:

BBQ Chicken Nachos at home
Tostito Chips any flavor, my favorite is Pepper Jack
Lloyd's BBQ Shredded Chicken (or any type of already made)
Tomato
Onion
Shredded Cheddar Cheese
Sour Cream

Heat the shredded chicken. Spread the nachos out on the plate and sprinkle with the cheese. Put in microwave for 20 seconds. Top the chips and cheese with the shredded chicken. Add the chopped tomatoes and onions. Sprinkle sour cream over top of all of it. I don't measure anything just pile it. And it is wonderful.

A little word of wisdom that will get me through tonight and tomorrow morning:

Trust in the Lord with all your Heart - Proverbs 3:5

Jesus Loves Me

2011-09-13T22:18:00.002-04:00

Jesus loves me this I know. For the bible tells me so..... Take it away Daniel!Faith like a child! I love listening to him sing. He sings Jesus Loves Me with all his heart over and over again. I can't wait for the day we will listen to both boys sing Jesus loves me together. Hopefully someday soon. After we sing Jesus Loves Me every night, we also pray for Daniels brother and for him to come home soon. Where are we in the adoption process? I get this question a lot. Our homestudy is complete and we have all our documents for our Dossier (the packet of information that has to be sent to Ethiopia) except one last paper, our approval from USCIS. We have sent the forms and homestudy to USCIS and are now awaiting our fingerprint appointment (yes we have to get fingerprinted again). Hopefully it does not take long to get this appointment but I am not holding my breath. We will keep you all updated on our progress and I am sure everyone will here us shouting praises from the rooftops when our paperwork is all submitted!

Olive Tree Promise

2011-09-06T13:53:00.002-04:00

We have started another fundraising site I found through some friends on Facebook. It is called Olive Tree Promise. This site has everything from pictures, baby items, decorations, clothes, etc. Something for everyone. Plus every purchase benefits our adoption. We want to thank everyone who has supported us this far, we have some amazing friends and family. We still have a long way to go before we get to bring our baby home (I can't wait to see that first picture). It seems so surreal to me that 1 year to the day that we brought Daniel home, God was like ok you have been a family of 3 long enough it's time to start your journey back to Ethiopia. I love how God never ceases to amaze me. Check out our website either by clicking here or clicking on the Olive Tree Promise image on the right under our T-shirts.We still have lots of T-shirts for sale too and our Just Love Coffee Fundraiser. Many have ordered the coffee and can't say enough about it, it is wonderful and would make great Christmas gifts!

Lessons from my 2 year old

2011-08-13T23:05:00.002-04:00

It always amazes me when my 2 year old seems to get more than I do in life. Sound confusing? Here is what I am talking about. There are times when we seem to either just go about our day to day and do the same things over and over because that is what we always do. Then there are the times when it is late, mommy and daddy are tired and we skip our normal routine, including the things we should not consider as "routine". We had a very long day today, hair appointment, zoo, car show, and birthday picnic. So when it came time to get ready for bed, including a long over due bath, the thing on my mind was "it is late, we need to get a quick bath and in bed or tomorrow will be a cranky long day". Should I think like that even if it is way past bedtime? We have been hearing in the sermons on Sundays to leverage our time with our kids. I also learned that lesson from my 2 year old child tonight.

First as I was getting him undressed and ready for the bath he said "pee on potty", I sadly kind of shrugged it off as this has been a dead end street with no interest on his part. I was like ok go ahead the bath is still running. Wouldn't you know tonight was the night he decided to go potty. Do you know how many times this week he has said the same thing to either Mark or myself and we both kind of blew it off? Talk about feeling like a bad parent. Lesson there, take the time even if he does just sit and play or only sit for a second and yells all done without doing anything. Take the time to learn about him and talk about his day. He just might surprise you.

The second lesson came after bed time, like I said above it was late and a long day. We sang Jesus Loves me, like always. Rocked and sang "MMM Baby" for not even a minute and then hugs and kisses and lights out. I went into my bedroom and i hear him screaming something. When I listened closer he was yelling "pray, pray". In my rush to get him to bed and for that little bit of me time before bed I did not take the time to pray with him before bed. Shame on me. My child had to remind me again, one of the best times we should be leveraging is our bed time. My lesson to you who are reading this: take the time to pray, you never know when your child is listening and watching. At 2 my son reminded me to stop and take the time to pray. Thank you God for giving me a child that loves Jesus and gives me the hard lessons when I need them. That little bit of me time is nothing and the time it takes to pray with my son is so much more precious and important. That is time I will never get back if I pass it up. This mommy is going to make sure to leverage that time, no matter what time it of night and how long past bed time we have gone.

Africa Famine Relief

2011-08-11T07:48:00.002-04:00

Help us support organizations who are providing famine relief in the horn of Africa. This is near and dear to our heart since Daniel is from Ethiopia and we are finishing the paperwork to adopt another baby boy from Ethiopia. Another Ethiopian adoptive parent decided to create a fundraiser to bring relief for the drought that is currently affecting the people in the horn of Africa and areas surrounding. Will you help us make a difference and save a life or two. Simply take a minute and visit this site and please share with others.

http://adoptivefamiliesforfaminerelief.weebly.com/index.html

YOU can make a difference TODAY!

There's a Reason for Everything

2011-07-28T11:15:00.004-04:00

Well I guess there is a reason for everything, even the nervousness and anxiety of your son having surgery. And I guess I should learn to listen to that gut instinct inside of me, when I felt uneasy about surgery today.

We went to the hospital, checked in put the gown on and got all ready (here is a too cute picture of Daniel in his gown)

They started all the pre-opp testing, weight, height, blood pressure and listening to his lungs. This is when it all went south. The nurse hear wheezing in Daniels lungs so there was no surgery today.

We now have to go to his Dr and see what she says. We will then reschedule with the surgeon. The anaesthesiologist wouldn't give him the anesthetic due to the wheezing, since his airway was already compromised they were worried about bronchial arrest during surgery. I know this is a good thing we rescheduled for his safety and health but still very frustrating. Poor thing. God knew what he was doing and he put that nurse in our room to question what she was hearing. God is good and His plan is great, even when I don't agree with the timing or methods. Even through the frustration I am thanking God for great nurses and anaesthesiologists today.

The Tough Mommy Moments

2011-07-27T22:32:00.002-04:00

What do you do when the parenting moments go from easy go with the flow to tough? Like when your child has to have a minor procedure that requires them to be put to sleep and you hear words like outpatient surgery, recovery, bring comfort items, etc. We are faced with these moments now. It sounds all kind of silly, you know a minor everyday procedure, nothing life threatening, nothing scary but yet it is so scary to this mommy heart. It is not even the procedure that scares me, it is the thought of the anesthetic and going to sleep that scares me. Not knowing any family background, medical history, allergy information makes this hard for me. I am not sure why, maybe because I have a hard time coming out of anesthetic. I come out of it enough for them to send me home and nothing more. So I am not a fan. But the thought of them taking Daniel in a room without us for 45 minutes and then seeing him in recovery breaks my heart. Does this happen to all parents? I am telling myself yes.

Tonight when we were putting Daniel to bed, we were walking him through our day tomorrow. We will get up, get dressed and go see the doctor and then we are going to come home and lay in mommy's bed watching movies. He loves to do that because we don't get to do that often. I even bought him a new movie to watch tomorrow and my mom taped a bunch of Handy Manny's. But while we were putting him to bed we prayed (he loves to repeat what we say when we pray at night, that makes my heart full listening to him) and he looked at us and said "Yea Jesus", which means sing Jesus Loves me (how perfect). So we sang Jesus Loves Me and he wanted to sing it again. He loves to sing that song but it actually comforted me tonight too. I know Jesus loves us and he will be with Daniel in surgery tomorrow. We have a lot of people praying for us. While we were rocking singing MMMM Baby (Daniels made up nite nite song) I couldn't help myself and broke down crying. Thank goodness it was dark or that would have been another long conversation. It is going to be a long day tomorrow and I am pretty sure it is going to be hard for this mommy to keep it together.

The hardest part of this is Daniel can have nothing in the morning to eat or drink. He can have clear liquids before 6:00 am. We don't have to leave the house until 7 and I am pretty sure I am not going to wake him up before 6 just for some water. Surgery is at 9:30. No food and no apple juice in the morning is going to make for a crabby baby boy. Keep us in your prayers for that because the only time Daniel is not happy is when he is hungry.

I know we will get through, we always do because God is with us. He has a plan and will hold us in his arms. I am pretty sure I am also just overreacting and being a paranoid parent! But that is my baby boy, I waited a very long time to hold and love with all my heart. He makes our world whole. God had big plans for him so I know he will get through this and we will laugh at this post one day. Until then God protect us, keep us sane and be with us tomorrow as we face this new journey in our lives right now.

Summer Fun

2011-07-05T23:09:00.006-04:00

This summer has been full of fun. So many things that Daniel did last year but since he was so small it is like he is experiencing them for the first time all over again, only this time he has started catching on to things a lot quicker. We have learned we have to watch what we say and what we do because this little one is smart and repeats everything! He loves to swim, he is like a fish and has no fear of the water. I am not sure if this is a good thing or not! He loves to jump in and has started trying to swim with his face in the water. I am pretty sure by the end of summer he is not going to like being in his little floaty innertube thing. Below is a picture of Daniel and Ray swimming together.

Growing up I remember every weekend in the summer spending the evenings at car show after car show with my mom and dad. Since both of our family's have classic cars or show cars Mark and I also invested in a car. Which was a good thing because Daniel loves the car shows. He loves to look at the sweet motors and big tires. He can name every part on a car (big parts like motor, door, tire, window, etc.). He will also tell you who rides in which cars. He likes to watch the cars and bikes run down the drag strip too. Every year Salem OH has what they call the Super Nationals. Tons of classic and show cars (even some not so much show cars) all in one place, some just sitting there and some drag racing down the track. Daniel loves them all. He will talk for hours about the different cards. Below are some pictures from this event this year, Daniel sitting in Pepa's car, and cleaning every ones cars. He watched the drag racing from Daddy's shoulders with Daddy's glasses on.

The best time we have in the summer is hanging out with our family and friends. Bonfires, pizza party's and just relaxing at home. In my opinion this is what makes summer fun. We spend time at Meka and Papa's swimming, bonfire's at Audras, mowing the grass and swinging at Mamaw and Pepa's and so much more. A couple of weeks ago we had the cutest little Ethiopian Princess over for a play date. It is hard to believe over a year ago both Hope and Daniel were in the transition home together and now they are living only an hour apart. I love to just watch them together. Below are pictures from all our summer adventures so far this summer.

I can't wait to see what else the summer will bring. I love seeing the summer through the eyes of a 2 year old who just seems so excited with everything. We have started going on bike rides at night. There is a seat attached to Mark's bike and Daniel loves it. Tonight as we were riding he was singing loudly the whole way. My favorite song was the Mommy Daddy song. The baby seat was on my bike for awhile but that extra 30 pounds is really hard to pedal through. Great exercise though. I love summer!

On the new adoption front, we have most of our documents just waiting on some things out of our control and I am hoping to be DTE by the end of August. We will see how well that goes!

Homestudy Packet Received

2011-06-27T12:33:00.002-04:00

We received our first email with the documents needed to complete our homestudy again. You would think the amount of paperwork needed wouldn't be so surprising since this is our second trip down this road. As I was printing I thought to myself "Wow this is a lot of paperwork". I almost wish I could just buy a stamp with my signature. But then again that would take the fun out of it! How quickly can we get these forms complete? Hopefully the USCIS won't take to long with our fingerprint and I171H forms. Crossing my fingers and praying for quick appointments and turn around times. My goal is to have everything complete and submitted by the end of August. Is that attainable? We will see!

Meanwhile we have another fee due of $1050. We raised enough money from our shirts to pay our initial fee, can we do it again? Would you like to help? See the information on the right on our T-shirt fundraiser, Coffee website or if you would like to just donate. I want to thank everyone who has helped so far and will help in the future. This baby Heddleson #2 is already truly blessed.

The other night when we were putting Daniel to bed, Mark asked him if he thought his baby brother had been born yet. Daniel's answer "No". Is he right? Has our baby boy been born yet? I can't wait to see his little face. I know I am getting ahead of myself but I can wonder can't I? I know God has in his plans the perfect little boy for our family.

First Step Complete!

2011-06-17T12:09:00.002-04:00

Our 1st payment and stack of paperwork is now on its way to AWAA! Thanks to our friends and family that have purchased shirts, coffee and made a donation to our adoption fund. I can't wait to see how God will continue to provide in this next leg of our journey.

We are now working towards raising our next payment of $7500. Would you like to help? Here are some ways that you can help bring our son home:

1. Purchase a T-shirt - you can purchase on our blog here or send me a message and we can work something out.
2. Share our blog with your family and friends. If you have a blog there is a button on the right that you can post on your blog.
3. Purchase some coffee at our Just Love Coffee Store, www.justlovecoffee.com/theheddlesons or use the link to the right
4. If you would like to just make a donation you can do that too? There is a button to the right that will take you to our paypal account.
5. And most of all pray for our journey and for God to continue to provide!

There are more fun things coming, so stay tuned and check back often. We are truly blessed to have such great family and friends.

Acceptance Call

2011-06-15T21:35:00.004-04:00

A week and a half ago we submitted our application to America World for our 2nd adoption from Ethiopia. Since that day I have been glued to my email waiting for something to say "Yes you are accepted again". Well that email did not come, something better did. Tonight while I was helping with games for our youth program at church I felt my phone vibrate. I usually don't check it while I am doing that but something in me told me to look at the phone. I looked down and saw area code 703. For anyone who has adopted through America World you know that 703 area code creates major butterflies in your stomach. All of a sudden no one else was around me and I was very focused on answering the phone. So I ran to somewhere where I could hear and answered. It was Sara from AWAA say those wonderful words "Congratulations and welcome back!" I loved hearing those words. We are officially in the paper chasing phase of adoption number two. What happens next? We sign a bunch of forms and send in our first payment. Then we will be assigned a family coordinator and the paperwork fun will start. Once we submit our dossier the wait time right now is about 10 months for a referral. The age range we have submitted is 0-2 years old and we have submitted for a boy again.

Tonight while we were doing our bed time routine I told Daniel he was going to get a baby brother from Ethiopia. He was excited (I don't think he really understands what is going on). I asked him what we should name the baby. Daniel's answer "Gaga". For those of you who don't know that is what Daniel calls my brother RJ. I had to laugh but told him I didn't think that would work, one Gaga is enough.

I can't wait to see what God has in store for our family. We are building our family according to God's will and God's plan. We are stepping out in faith and praying for God to provide in all aspects of this journey. Praying he will hold us up when we can't stand and are to weary from this emotional journey. Praying that we will give him all the Glory in celebrating the milestones of this journey. Praying for the baby that God has chosen for our family and praying he holds the mother in his arms as she makes the what I would assume to be the hardest decision in her life. Praying for understanding and love. Praying for the support and love of all our family and friends. We can not go through this journey alone, nor would we want to.

New Journey - New Blog

2011-06-14T11:03:00.003-04:00

Since we are starting our new journey to bring home our 2nd son from Ethiopia, I thought it would be nice to update the look of our blog. I wanted something more personal and reflective of our family. Becky Burk(Adopt Africa Designs - www.adoptafrica.blogspot.com)did an awesome job! I love the new design. Now all I have to do is find the time to actually post on here.

It is funny how you fall back into the same patterns when you start something over again. We submitted our application last Monday to America World for our 2nd adoption. Since then, I am glued to my phone waiting for that email to come in that says we can start the next step in the process. I remember with Daniel's journey that little red light that blinks on my phone was like an addiction. I literally would have to put something over my phone to hide that little light. It has started all ready. And the butterflies when you see an email with the @awaa.org at the end. We literally just started the process and the butterflies have started already. It makes me laugh when I think about it. I can't wait to see this little guys face, but first we have to get through all the paperwork and the waiting! Oh the waiting (that I am not so good at).

It is all worth it in the end, and I do have to say I can't wait to do it all over again.

Playdates and Haircuts

2011-06-07T22:52:00.005-04:00

I love seeing Daniel with other little Ethiopian cuties. Monday we had a playdate with a little girl named Lila. She is adorable and just a little older than Daniel. It was so cute watching them walk into McDonald's holding hands. Those big brown eyes are definitely an Ethiopian trait as they both have them. They played well together once we got done eating and we went to the park. He wouldn't really talk to her while we were together but once we got back in the car it was "Bye lila, Bye Lila" and when we got home it was "Come on Lila" apparently he thought she was still with us! Here is a picture of Daniel with his new friend Lila.

Tonight Daniel got his first haircut. Here is the before:

Here is the after:

He was such a good boy and sat there letting Daddy just buzz the hair off. I didn't want to cut his hair but it is so stinking hot here already and the poor thing is always sweating. I miss the curls. He looks so much older now. Looking at pictures of him from last summer this is how short his hair was so I am hoping to maybe make this an annual thing and letting his hair grow out over the winter. He is so cute with those curls. While his hair is growing out it will be easier this time since we have a hair routine that works now, plus the wonderful Tangle Teaser. Makes combing out the hair so much easier and he doesn't even move at all!

My baby boy is growing up so fast.

T-Shirts are done!

2011-05-24T13:10:00.002-04:00

We are now off on another adventure, building our family according to God's plan. As many of you know, adoption is not cheap to say the least. The cost of fingerprints, paperwork, flights, hotel, country fees can add up. We are deciding to take a leap of faith and see what God has planned and how he will provide some help in the form of our friends and family to bring baby Heddleson #2 home. We prayed about this and talked about this for awhile now, so it is officially time to start our fundraising. We had a friend come up with some T-shirt designs for our adoption fundraiser. He is great and did an amazing job. I am so excited to finally be able to put them up on our site. Thanks to Tom Hartwig we have 2 exciting designs.

To purchase a shirt see the side bar, you can pay through paypal or send me a message to make other arrangements. We appreciate everyone who supports our journey to bring baby Heddleson #2 home. God will provide!

These will make great Father's Day gifts along with some coffee from our justlove coffee store (link also in the side bar). Can you tell I am completely not a salesman?

This pretty much sums it up!

2011-05-20T08:55:00.003-04:00

This quote pretty much sums up how I feel. When people say that Daniel is the one who is so blessed and has been given such a great gift. In reality it is Mark and I who are the lucky ones, who are truly blessed to have the honor of being his mom and dad. Not the other way around. I will never truly be able to express how grateful I am to have been given the gift of Daniel.

1 Year ago today....

2011-05-15T15:12:00.004-04:00

1 Year ago today we were arriving in Pittsburgh, after a very long flight and journey home with our son, Daniel. I can't believe it has been a year. When I look back it seems as if he has always been here. He has grown so much in this year. He no longer looks like a baby, he is extremely independent and has learned the words "No" and "Mine" (among others) and uses them way to often. He makes us laugh so hard we could cry, and melts our hearts (and the hearts of those who meet him) with his sweet smile. He is loving and caring and way to energetic. Life would not be the same without him. We thank God everyday for this precious gift. The best part of my day is hearing that little voice in the morning say simply "Hi". I can't wait to see what the next year has in store as we begin our journey to bring another baby boy home to become Daniel's brother. I love him more than I could ever express into words, my heart is full and running over. It is amazing how much he has changed in the last year. The blank stare and empty eyes are now filled with a light that I can't even describe. Check out the pictures below, the first if from the day we left the airport and the second is a recent picture:

Then

Now!

God's plan for our family has been so good. I can't wait to see what He has planned next!

Mother's Day

2011-05-08T21:51:00.002-04:00

Happy Mothers day! I loved waking up today knowing that I am finally a mother to the most precious, loving and joyful boy ever. The cutest thing was when I opened my bedroom door and there was Daniel with a card and a bag, yelling "Happy Mother's Day (or his version of it) and then he put his little finger up to his mouth and said Shhhh. Apparently when they bought me the figurine pictured here Mark told him Shhh it's a surprise. So even though I have already seen the present he is still saying Shhh. I love being a mother. I love the sticky hugs after he eats a sucker, the cute sideways glances he gives when he is starting to do something he knows he is not allowed to do, the infectious laughter when he is excited and giggling. I love being the one that he wants to wipe the tears away, the one he wants to tuck him in and rock him at night, the way he gets so excited when I pick him up at the end of the day and the way he opens his mouth like a baby bird when he wants whatever I am eating. I love everything about being a mom. God has truly blessed me. I can't thank him enough for this precious gift of Daniel. He had a plan through all the court failures, all the delayed paperwork, all the tears and frustration. God knew that today almost 1 year exactly from the day I first held this precious baby boy it would all be worth it. I am forever grateful.

While I was in church today singing and worshipping I thought of the brave, courageous woman who made the decision to give up the perfect baby boy. Daniels birth mother. My heart hurts for her today knowing she will not see his smile, here his giggle or feel the warmth of his little arms around her neck. I am forever grateful for her sacrafice, which is truly the best gift I have ever received. I pray that someday we will meet in Heaven and I look her in the eyes and give her the biggest hug. I pray for the day when I can thank her and tell her how much that one decision has truly changed my life. I can't imagine life without Daniel in it.

On this mother's day, almost 1 year from the day I met Daniel I am dreaming of his baby brother (who we do not know yet and is not from the same mother since we don't know him yet) and of the mother's day that I can wake up and hold both of them in my arms. God knows who he is but I still can't help but wondering who he will be.

What a wonderful day! Happy Mother's Day to all you mothers.

It's Time!

2011-05-04T22:35:00.002-04:00

Since the day we meet Daniel and brought him home (and probably before) Mark and I have said we would definitely adopt from Ethiopia again. Well almost 1 year later from bringing Daniel home, we feel it is time. God is ever so quietly whispering "It's time. You have another son, go get him." When is the right time to start the adoption again? If you wait for that perfect moment, that perfect time you will never take that step. For us it is a leap of faith, it is us stating "ok God, we are here there is a child there, I don't know how this is going to work but I know you are in control. You will take care of it." Some people are shocked when I tell them we are starting again (obviously people who really don't know us to well) since we went through a lot of hoops to get Daniel home. The question I get most often is how long will this process take, will it take as long as it did with Daniel? My answer, I don't know and I can't answer that. It will take as long as God feels is necessary to carry out his plan. He has plan for our family. Right now we believe that plan involves two little Ethiopian boys. It is time to start the process to bring home a baby brother for Daniel. Starting this process makes me nervous and giddy all at the same time. I love watching God's plan unfold before my eyes. I don't always like the methods or timeframe, but none the less I love watching his plan. Usually it is way better than my plan anyway. I shouldn't say usually, it is ALWAYS way better than my plan in the end.

So where are we in the process? We are starting the fundraising process. This is something we didn't do with Daniel. Our first fundraiser is coffee! Seems appropriate since coffee originated in Ethiopia and Ethiopian coffee is to die for! If you would like to support our efforts to give a child a forever family and make there one less orphan in the world simply visit www.justlovecoffee.com/theheddlesons. A portion of all orders will come to us for our adoption fund. I love this fundraiser since it was started by a family who also adpoted from Ethiopia and wanted to help other families with the financial aspect of the process. You can also click on the picture to the right.

Coming soon.....we will be selling T-shirts and have a donate now button on our blog. Check back for more details. I have seen the Tshirt design and it is amazing! I can't wait to share with you.

Lastly, the best thing you can do is pray for our journey. Pray for God's guidance and patience as we wait to see what his plan unfolds. Pray for that baby boy that we will adopt and most importantly pray for his birth family whatever the circumstances will be. Only God knows what child will be ours and I can't wait to meet him!

Thanks for all the support you gave throughout Daniels adoption and thank you in advance for the support for baby boy #2. Ethiopia here we come!

Happy Easter!

2011-05-04T22:11:00.003-04:00

He is alive! He is alive! Christ has risen! Those are the words I think about when I think of Easter. Easter can be fun but we need to make sure we don't forget the reason for the day. Jesus died for our sins and on the third day (Easter) he rose again. We need to make sure through all the fun of easter, eggs, baskets and bunnies we are instilling in our children this real reason for the day. This was Daniel's first Easter with us. We colored eggs, Mark and I hid the eggs after Daniel went to bed and when he woke up he was so excited to see a soccer ball. Then we started to find the eggs. It took all of maybe 15 minutes to find 42 plastic eggs filled with jelly beans, m&m's and random change we found around the house. The best moment was we hid an egg in the feet of Daniels Monkey. When he found it he started blowing kisses to the monkey to tell him thank you. Then he had to keep running back to give the monkey a hug and kisses. I love watching his expressions as he finds things and experiences new things. Here are a few pictures from the day:

Happy Birthday Daniel

2011-04-20T22:01:00.006-04:00

So I am officially a slacker at blogging! It has been almost 2 whole months since Daniels birthday and I haven't posted. Sorry. It was so bittersweet planning his big "2" birthday party. Getting to do it was the best gift ever but the thought of him already turning 2, ugh. He is getting so big and smart and just plain cute. If you ask him how old he is, he will state "two" in this cute little tiny voice (that he doesn't use ever) and hold up both his index fingers to show he is two. We have the best babysitter, she is the one that taught him to do this. It was amazing to see the excitement and sheer joy in his eyes as we sang happy birthday to him. His favorite part seemed to be when we were done and everyone started shouting and clapping. He would get the biggest smile on his face and clap too. As a first timer on the birthday party front, I thought it would be great to make him a 3D Lightning McQueen cake. It can't be that hard right? Well I thank God I have great friends who came over and worked on this cake with me for 4 hours to make the perfect cake for my perfect little man to make his birthday special. God gave me that idea so I had some quality time, lots of laughs and definitely a few memories with 2 great friends. Here is a picture of the finished cake:

Daniel is so loved by everyone, we had a great party and a great day thanks to all our family and friends.

Daniel got a bike for his birthday from mommy and daddy. He loves anything with wheels and especially loved his bike. It is a little big but by the time it is actually warm enough he will be able to ride it!

On Daniels actual birthday we had a cake just the 3 of us and celebrated the greatest gift God gave us. I couldn't help on that day think of his birth mother. Was she somewhere thinking of that day she brought the most precious, beautiful baby boy into the world? Did she know how much God loved her and this baby boy? Did she know that he would be so loved and well cared for? The love she must have had for this baby boy had to be amazing. One look at that sweet face and you are hooked. I am so thankful for the sacrifice she made so that we are able to celebrate this very specail day. I can hold my baby boy on his birthday and tell him how much he was truly loved and is loved and will forever be loved. I thank God for the choice that mother had to make because I don't think i could have. Mark told Daniel it was ok to take a bite out of the cake, it was so precious he knew it was wrong and hesitated a long while before diving right in!

Happy Birthday baby boy! May God continue to bless you more and more each year. You had one heck of a journey this past year and we can't wait to see what he has in store for you this year. We love you!

The Last 2 Months

2011-03-03T15:25:00.004-05:00

Wow I am way behind on this blog! It seems like there are just not enough hours in the day. Daniel has finally played in the snow for the first time (in Janaury). He had been kicking it in the driveway when we come home from work and throwing it in the air but never bundled up go walk in the snow playing. I am not so sure he liked it! Have you ever watched A Christmas Story with Ralphie? Well I was that mom. I didn't want him to get cold or wet so the poor kid could barely move his arms. Everytime he fell down we had to pick him up because he couldn't move. This picture says it all from his perspective:

We were only outside maybe 20 minutes. Carmen (the dog) was running around like crazy but Daniel not so much. Here are a few more pictures of our fun outing in the snow.

What else went on these last few months. Daniel had his first Valentines Day party. I don't think he has a clue what it means to give Valentines but he really liked the ones with puppies and basketballs on them. He also loved the candy but what child doesn't.

It is hard to believe that next week at this time he will be 2 years old. Life has definitely changed for us in the last year. Our evenings are now filled with Imagination Movers, Playhouse Disney soundtracks, giggles, slobbery kisses, flying cars and plenty of hugs. We are on the verge of terrible twos. We are learning the joys of "time outs" at the Heddleson house! I wouldn't change it for a thing. Every night we read from the Rhyming bible Daniel got on his dedication day. The other night I asked him "Who made the stars" (he has a turtle that puts the stars on the ceiling) and he thought a minute then answered very matter of factly "Daddy". Pretty sure that could be considered a correct answer if he didn't mean Mark! Daddy has done and is everything. If Daniel sees a car on TV it is daddy, if a truck drives by again, daddy. It is kind of funny but I am so glad that he loves and admires his daddy so much to relate everything he does to "daddy".

Stay tuned, birthday party pictures and posts will be next and I promise they will not be 2 months late!

Merry Christmas

2010-12-30T14:44:00.006-05:00

Happy Birthday Jesus! Christmas is more than presents, wrapping paper and lights. Family is so important at Christmas time. This year we were able to celebrate as a family of 3 finally! Daniel was home with his forever family. Though I am not sure he quite knew what was going on. he was a trooper. 3 long days of family get togethers, food and gifts. Daniel learned very fast though, if he unwrapped something most likely there was a car in there. His favorite ever! Disney Car's is his favorite movie. So needless to say our house looked like a commercial for Lightning McQueen. Check out this picture:

Daniel got to spend Christmas with so many of his cousins and friends. The best gift to me was seeing him so happy and loved. Below are some pictures of Daniel and his family:

On Christmas eve I was rocking Daniel to put him to bed. I was telling him how lucky mommy was because he was Mommy's Gift from God. It was like he knew exactly what I was talking about, he got the biggest smile on his face and said his version of "God". We have been so blessed this year with our baby boy (who by the way is turning into quite the big boy). I can't wait to see what this next year brings for this special boy. Thank you God for the best Christmas present ever! Here is our first Christmas picture as a family of 3!

Merry Christmas!

Happy Thanksgiving (1 week late)

2010-12-01T21:14:00.004-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving! Just one week late. I don't know how we got so busy. Thanksgiving was fun. The only problem was we ate dinner at 1:30 right around nap time. We all sat down to eat, filled our plates and then the fun started. Daniel started screaming and pushing his food away. Definite sign that he needs a nap. But since we weren't home he wanted to hear nothing of it. So for Thanksgiving dinner Daniel ate pumpkin pie and chocolate cake. Such great parents we are right! He was so tired he took a 4 hour nap on Friday. So here are a couple of the things I am truly grateful for:

*Our baby boy Daniel, the blessings God has given to us in this little package. Every day I thank God for Daniel and the joy he brings
*My family and friends, the are the best family and friends anyone can ask for. The most loving and supportive.
*I am thankful for the nannies in Ethiopia and the way they love on the babies until they are united with their forever families
*I am thankful for the people at AWAA and the support and hard work they put into every adoption case.
*I am thankful most of all that I have a God that loves me unconditionally and is always there when I need carried through life.

There are many more reasons I am thankful this year but these are just the top few. One thing I read this year is why do we set aside one year to gives thanks to God. This is something that we should do every day. We should be thankful and grateful everyday and praising God for our blessings. This is something that I know I do not do every single day. I am going to really make an effort this coming year to do this. Everything I am thankful for came from God and was a gift to me. I will praise him and thank him for these gifts.

Readoption Day

2010-11-17T21:51:00.003-05:00

Ok I am officially crazy behind on blogging. Last Wednesday November 10th was Daniel's readoption day. We went to court and saw the judge for 10 minutes to say officially he is ours. Now we wait for the Ohio Birth Certificate with the name Daniel Abdi Kelile Heddleson born on March 9, 2009. Yeah! One step closer to having everything complete. The day didn't go quite as planned. Daniel woke up not feeling well and by the end of the night was officially sick. Poor thing. But we got what we wanted, an evening together as a family. Wednesday was officially 6 months since we held Daniel for the first time. Kind of appropriate that his readoption is 6 months from the day we finally got to hold him. He is the sunshine of our life, I don't know what life would be like without him. We are looking forward to seeing what God has in store for us in the next 6 months!

We love you Daniel always and forever!

Happy Halloween

2010-11-09T21:48:00.008-05:00

Ok so I am little behind blogging, but have you met Daniel! So Halloween was fun. Daniel made in my mind the cutest little Ewok ever. I am sort of partial though. He got to wear his costume a couple of times. Thank goodness Halloween wasn't any later we would have been buying another costume. It barely fit he has grown so much. The funniest part was the hood part wouldn't fit quite right because his hair has become a little big. His little round brown face was so precious sticking out the hole in the hood.

Saturday was the Halloween Party at RJ's house. This would be Daniel's first experience with things in a mask or face paint. We weren't sure what he would do. He was so friendly and excited to see the tall skeleton that greeted you at the door at Walmart or the creepy witch that was stirring a caldron in the aisle. He waved to them and laughed when he saw them. Now a real person in a mask or with their face painted was a different story. He wanted nothing to do with Uncle RJ because of his face paint. He stayed away from all the dressed up people and hung out in the garage playing with a tractor all night.

Daniel liked trick or treating I think. He had the most fun walking down the street waving at everyone that passed us. He also loved getting the candy out of the bowl and putting it into his pumpkin himself. He was to cute. For the most part he left his hood on the entire time too. I have to wonder though what was going through his little head. Seeing all these people in different costumes, going to houses and getting candy. To me it would be scary for a little kid. Plus it was cold. Good thing is we didn't trick or treat long, we just went to family and friends houses. Since he is only 20 months old and doesn't need the candy. I was so thankful for those houses that passed out goldfish, pretzels or some kind of healthy snack. As a child they probably hated those houses. As a mom I loved them! Here are some pictures of our 1st halloween together:

Carving Pumpkins

2010-11-07T21:30:00.003-05:00

I was so excited to carve pumpkins with Daniel for the first time. Mark did most of the work, Daniel only stuck his hand in one, not so sure he liked it. He was more impressed when we lit the candles in the pumpkin. But in reality I think he just wanted to blow them out!

Fall Leaf Fun!!

2010-11-04T20:25:00.005-04:00

One day after work when the leaves started to fall, Daniel I walked across the alley to pick some up. This is where he first learned that leaves that have fallen off the tree make crunching noises when stepped on. He also liked to pick them up and look at them. So once more leaves started to fall we decided to take him to play in the leaves. At first he wasn't so sure. Then we threw some up and let them fall overtop of him. Then the leaves were fun. He loved throwing them in the air and letting them fall in his hair. I have to say Mommy didn't think this one through to much. We laid him down in the leaves to see what he would do and he giggled. He loved the leaves. By the time we were done he had leaves all over him, in his diaper down his shirt, in his shoes and definitely in his hair (thanks to the fact that papa had ground them up first, the really stuck in his hair). His favorite thing to do was to pick them up and help papa put them into the garbage can. Doesn't take much to entertain him!

October is our favorite time of year. The weather is beautiful, the skyline so full of color with all the trees changing and so many memories made in October. We got engaged on October 18th, 2002 and married October 25th, 2003. We love to take walks, it is not to hot and the air just smells like fall. Bonfires, roasting marshmallows and friends. That is what October means to me. God paints amazing pictures in October and I am so thankful that this year we got to share it with our baby boy. He loved the leaves, what is he going to do with the snow? I love experiencing all the firsts with Daniel. You get them initial, I am not sure face and the steps backward. Once he sees mommy or daddy jumping in you get a few steps toward whatever you are doing and then once he tries it, it is all over from there. I love his faces as he experiences these things for the first time. I fall in love all over again each time his eyes light up with amazement at God's wonders.

Pumpkin Patch

2010-11-01T18:20:00.011-04:00

Daniel's first trip to the Pumpkin patch was definitely fun. We started out at Detwiler's Farm with a stop at the petting zoo. Daniel loved petting the goats and baby animals. Mommy did not so much, there was a little goat tied to the outside of the fence, everytime I tried to take a picture of Daniel feeding the animals the baby would jump on me. I finally just gave up. Petting zoos are definitely Daddy's area of expertise.

The hay ride was by far the best part of the visit for Daniel, since he loves tractors and basically anything with wheels and a motor!
He sat between Mommy and Daddy and just took it all in. Then they passed the apples. Daniel loves apples but does not eat them very fast. He did not want to let go of his apple when we got off in the middle of the pumpkin patch. This was quite interesting since he seemed to be on his stomach in the dirt more than anything! That apple was quite disgusting by the time I finally got him to let it go. Funny thing is he really didn't care to much about all the pumpkins, he just wanted to play in the dirt!

It was such a beautiful day in the sun and dirt! On our way out I bought 2 of the little pumpkins that fit in your hands for Daniel. He was excited because he could carry them. He was playing with them in the back seat and we hear a crunching noise. Mark looks back and he is eating the pumpkin. I looked at Mark and said "Is that bad?" Well he didn't get sick, but apparently he was pretty hungry. I think he thought it was another apple! I can't wait to go back again next year. He will be so fun when he understands more what we are doing. We were not just playing in one big sandbox, which is what I think he thought! He loves to play in the dirt.

Dedication Day!

2010-10-14T19:23:00.008-04:00

What a perfect day! Sunday October 10th was our baby dedication day at church. For the past 4 years I have avoided this day as it was to hard for me to sit through. Watching all the precious babies dedicated by their parents while we were waiting and wondering when our family would start. The day was usually around Mother's Day which just made it even harder. But this year I couldn't wait for Dedication Day, we for the first time would be able to not only sit in church on this day, we would be one of the families with the most precious child standing on stage dedicating him and promising to raise him to know and love the Lord. I felt so blessed as we began this journey. We took Daniel to the photo shoot for the church, which turned out so cute I can't even describe it. I may be biased but he is one handsome little boy. When it came time for us to walk out on the stage, I felt so grateful and blessed as I looked out over the congregation and saw all our family and friends. Daniel spotted them too right away and started waving. He was so good. First up was the video of the pictures from all the kids in the dedication, this video was set to Darius Rucker's "It won't be like this for long". It was all I could do to hold back the tears. I love that song, but as a mom now I can totally relate. Time goes way to fast. It really feels like just yesterday we were looking at that sweet face for the first time and this past Sunday we were holding him on his dedication day. After dedication day we had family and friends over to celebrate with us as we all gathered to have a wonderful lunch filled with Ethiopian food and American food. Standing in our dining room looking at all the people that surrounded us I had to take a minute to just thank God for all he has given us. Daniel is one loved child. We all loved him before we even knew him and on this day we gathered to surround him with that love and celebrate him as he has definitely found his Forever Family. I can't even imagine life without him. Below are a few pictures from Dedication Day of the most precious, handsome and loving baby boy a mother could ask for.

Daniel ready for his photo shoot for dedication day. Looks like he belongs in Grease.

Daniel before dedication day

Daniel and Daddy

Daniel and Mommy

Our Family of 3

Daniel's Life Verse we choose for dedication day:

"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go." - Joshua 1:9

Melkam Addis Amet

2010-09-11T16:16:00.005-04:00

Melkam Addis Amet, this means Happy New Year. Today is Enkutatash, the Ethiopian new year. To celebrate today I attempted to make a big Ethiopian lunch. It was wonderful as the house filled with smells that reminded us of being in Africa. The spices, onions and sauces all smelled wonderful cooking in our kitchen, the house still smells like it 4 hours later! To my knowledge this is Daniels first time having traditional Ethiopian food since he was so little when we got him. For lunch we had, Injera (which I bought online and would totally recommend, it was excellent) Doro Wat (an Ethiopian Chicken Stew, quite spicy) and Mesir Wat (a lentil stew). Both of our parents came down to be guinea pigs for us as this was our first time making traditional food. Reviews were great and we found out Daniel loves Injera and he liked the lentils. Here are some pictures of the food preparation and Daniel taking his first bites.

After lunch we all watched our video of our trip to Ethiopia and to meet our Daniel. What a nice day! Here is to many many more Enkutatash's to come!

Questions without answers

2010-09-09T07:25:00.003-04:00

Yesterday we received our 3 month post placement report to review. Yes we have been home almost 4 months now! Another adoptive parent also posted a great post about how adoption is not all happiness and kisses. Adoption is here because someone had to give up a child. With adoption comes heartache, trauma, confusion and tears. A mother has to watch someone take her kid away, hand them to a police officer and walk away or lay the baby on the street and hide hoping someone will pick the baby up. This is the side of adoption that I have not spent much time posting about. Our posts so far have been about our journey, our struggles and our needs. When I read the other families post I started thinking. What about her journey? What about Daniel's moms journey? Did she hide as he was carried into the orphanage just to see him one more time? Did she get to see that precious smile that melts your heart? Did she pray for him to find a loving family that would raise him to know God? Did she know God? Was she scared? The questions keep coming over and over and I can't stop them. I don't know if I want to stop them. My heart aches for the woman that gave me the most precious gift we could have ever been given. We don't know anything about her or her circumstances. Which makes the questions even harder since we don't and will most likely never have answers. You see most people focus on the adoptive family, their joy, their happiness. Very rarely does anyone outside the adoption stop to think about the mother that gave the child life. My heart hurts that we don't know these answers and someday Daniel will ask about her. When he does what will we say? These questions are the questions I am struggling with now as we are home and have found our new normal. Every morning I get to wake up and see those precious brown eyes, white smile and chocolate face smiling back at me from his crib. We get to hear those sweet sounding Hi mama or Hi daddy. We get to receive those tender kisses. We get to wipe away the tears and wrap our arms around him in love. We get to tell him every day "I love you my son". Does she think about the things that she will miss? The biggest question on my heart right now is will we see her again someday? Did she know the Lord and did she invite Him into her heart? The questions just keep coming.

People still say "He doesn't know how lucky he is". To me he is not the lucky one. We are because his mommy loved him so much that she gave him to us. We are the lucky ones because we get to call him our son, we are the lucky ones because we get to love him! I thank God everyday for this joy in our lives. I thank God everyday for the woman who gave Daniel life. I thank God that I get to look into this face whenever I want:

“His unchanging plan has always been to adopt us into His own family by bringing us to Himself through Jesus Christ. And this gave Him great pleasure” -Ephesians 1:5

Not a baby anymore

2010-09-03T08:20:00.004-04:00

Tonight I realized that my baby (who I have only had for 4 months) is no longer a baby. He is turning into quite the independent toddler. He wants to do things for himself now and wants little help from mommy or daddy. Tonight at dinner since daddy wasn't going to be home Daniel got a special treat, a happy meal from McDonald's. He loves the chicken nuggets there. When we got home, he did not want to sit in the high chair. This has been slowly coming on since he can now pull himself up onto one of our kitchen chairs and sit down at the table. He is so proud of himself when he does this. So I got out the booster seat and strapped it on the chair. He didn't like the fact that I also buckled him into the booster seat since he is quite the wiggle worm, especially when he is done eating! Then I put the chicken nuggets and his favorite, Hot Mustard dip in front of him. I grabbed a chicken nugget to dip a little for him and he screamed and took it from my hand. That was all it took, he dipped his own nuggets, quite well I might add, and ate his dinner all by himself. I know it is good that he is thriving so well and wanting to be independent but can't he need mommy's help just a little bit for just a little bit longer? As sad as I was that he didn't need my help, I loved watching him take this step to being a big boy. As an adoptive mother, I love watching how well he is doing with adjusting and learning new things. I am so grateful and thankful that he is comfortable and knows that we are his Forever Family so he is able to continue to mold into my very special toddler (I will still miss him being my baby). Plus my very best friend Laura told me, "He still needs you, he needs you to clean him up after". This is so true since there was mustard completely across his face! Here is my very big boy, sitting all by himself eating:

This picture makes me smile. I still thank God everyday that I get to be Daniels mom. I think I will for the rest of his life!

3 Month Post Placement

2010-08-27T20:05:00.004-04:00

We had our 3 month post placement visit this week. Hard to believe it is that time already. It went really well, I had no doubts. Daniel was of course in show off mode giggling and running around. That night when I put him to bed, I sat in the rocker and thought about how far he has come, from a different continent, across the ocean on a 17 hour plane ride all before he was 2. God's plan is amazing, I never thought 7 years ago when we got married that we would have been to Africa and back all before we were married 10 years.

Some things I have learned in the last 3 months:
1. Daniel is a morning person! Mommy not so much!
2. My clothes will never be worn more than once before washing again!
3. His hair takes more time and product to take care of than mine!
4. Being a mom is the best thing that has ever happened to me (besides my husband)!
5. I will say the word No more than any other word in my vocabulary!
6. It is hard to be firm when Daniel gives me that million dollar smile when he knows he is in trouble!
7. Sometimes it is best just to throw your to do list for the day away and crawl around on the floor playing with toy cars.
8. My life is forever changed because I choose to say yes to God's plan!
9. I can't wait to do it all over again!

Here are some recent pictures of Daniel he has grown so much!

We are blessed because he is our son!

Love being a mom

2010-08-16T10:49:00.003-04:00

The last 3 months have absolutely flown by. It seems like just yesterday we were in Ethiopia meeting Daniel for the first time. I watched the video of our pictures from our trip with some friends on Friday and it hit me how much Daniel has grown and opened up. His eyes no longer look sad, empty or scared and he is always smiling! Don't get me wrong, the nannies in Ethiopia did a great job but still it was not constant one on one care for each child. So after watching this video it got me thinking about how much I absolutely love being a mom. I love being the one that gets that first smile in the morning from a face that can barely see over the crib railing. I love being the one that kisses away the tears when something does not go the way Daniel thinks it should. I love hearing "mama" and looking down at those big round chocolate eyes! I love having dance parties in the living room. I love watching the excitement when he figures out how to do something new. I love watching the energy when he is watching his daddy play drums with MercyRising. I love the hugs, fish kisses and giggles. Most of all I love cuddling in the rocking chair, reading a book before bed time.

All of these things make being a mom the best thing in the world. I always knew I wanted to be a mom and thought I would be good at it. But God knew that being a mom to Daniel would make me the best mom I could be. I am eternally grateful for the privelege and honor of being a mom!

Back to Work

2010-07-28T20:57:00.002-04:00

Today was my first day back to work and away from my baby boy! Last night as I was rocking him before bed time, I told him that Mommy had to go to work and he was going to spend the day with Mika and Papa. It was the cutest thing because he sat on my lap and looked me in the eyes and when I asked him if he was going to be a good boy, he shook his head yes. When I asked him if he was going to go swimming and play on the swing set, he shook his head yes. When I asked him if he was going to listen to Mika when she said no, he shook his head yes. Now I am not sure how much he actually understood but he sat there like he was 10 years old listening and responding. So after that I held him a little closer and rocked him a little longer. Then I had to pack his stuff for the next day and pack my lunch for my first day back to work. I did not miss packing my lunch at all. I got up in the morning, got ready and left for work. Daniel was still sleeping, Mark had the wonderful job of dropping him off. He did really good all day with my mom and dad. The best part of my day was when I walked into mom's house and around the corner, Daniel saw me and started giggling and shrieking and doing his crazy dance. I love that little face when it lights up. Tonight when I put him down for bed, I loved on him and rocked him a little more, knowing tomorrow we will do it all over again. This is our new normal and it just may work! I love my baby boy and I missed him like crazy today! God has a plan and I am trusting in it!

Words can not explain

2010-07-19T10:48:00.004-04:00

We have been home with Daniel for 2 months now. He is the joy of our lives and I can't imagine life without him. Having said that I can't even fathom what would have happened to him or where he would be today if he was not taken to the orphanage. My head is spinning and my heart is hurting this morning. I read this article on another mom's blog that is in Ethiopia. She visted the town of Korah, which we did not know about while we were there (and I really now wish we did). This town is on the outskirts of Addis (where we were) in and around the city dump. Yes I said IN. Reading her story of her trip there I was speechless. You see these people are the people that no one visits, that everyone has forgotten. They live in the dump, where your trash goes! An amazing woman and her family moved there to set up a ministry to help the children and families. She sold everything she had and moved to help these people that no one wants to help. THere are children living there amoungst the trash and filth. We don't even like to pick up other peoples trash we see laying around while we are shopping or walking, can you imagine living in it? While I was reading her story all I could think about was, could this be what life would have been like for Daniel? Can I bring all these children home with me? How do we help and most of all God where are you that these children are living in the city dump? Now I know that God has not left them and that he is there and there are things that just happen and we will never know why but still Why the children? I hear stories like this and then I look around at all the toys that Daniel has and think why? I listen when I am walking through the stores and hear kids complaining because they can't have this video game or that toy and think there is a child across the ocean playing with a stick and a rock and is perfectly happy! Do we need all this stuff we have here? Not at all. Do our kids need every new toy and gadget out there? Not at all. I am just in awe at the things we continue to complain about and do when there is a family living with nothing not that far away. They are happy, and willing to give everything they have to you if you would ask. We won't even open our doors have the time! Anyway that is enough rambling for a day. There is someway we can start to help and make a difference. Only God knows how and when so I will continue to trust and listen to Him. Together we will make a difference somehow.

Here is the story I have been talking about. I highly recommend you read this all the way through.

click here to read

4th of July

2010-07-04T23:57:00.007-04:00

What a great 4th of July weekend we have had. We spent lots of time with family and friends. We are so blessed to live in this country and have the freedoms we have. Thank you to all the men and women who have served and are continuing to serve our country so we may have these freedoms. Daniels first 4th of July at home was extremely busy. We had a pig roast at Jason and Ashlees on Saturday. We had so much fun and had many good friends come in from out of town. Daniel got to meet many people who have been waiting a long time to meet him. He was a trooper with only a morning nap. We took the pack and play to their house and at 8:00 put him to sleep. When we left he woke up and I was so afraid that he would be up forever. He was a happy cheery baby for the drive home and then as soon as we got home he was asleep! I have the happiest best baby ever! God has truly blessed us with Daniel.

Here is Daniel playing with his new truck at the Pig Roast:

The 4th was very relaxing, we spent the day at my mom and dads. It was hot so we went swimming and then watched my brother RJ set off some of his fireworks purchase. I was afraid Daniel would be scared but he loved it. No tears at all, he really focused on what was going on and clapped when it was over. We had a great day and ended it with going to watch the fireworks at a friends house, where RJ put on another fireworks display. What a great day and Daniel had so much fun playing with his friends and cousin Ray. He was so tired he actually fell asleep during the fireworks. He woke up before we left and then fell asleep again in the car. He did not wake up when we got home even through changing his diaper and clothes and laying him down. He was so cute! I don't remember what the 4th was like without him!

Hanging out at Mika and Papas
1st 4th of July together
The remnants of Uncle RJ's firecracker cars and trucks
Ray, Daniel and Mommy (Aunt Lisa)
Papa, Daddy, Daniel and Ray
What was that noise?
The Perkins's, Ray and us leaving the fireworks
Mika, Papa, Mommy, Daddy, Uncle RJ, Ray and Daniel

What a great day and night. We could not have asked for a better time and a better 4th with Daniel. We are so blessed in more ways than one!

Summer Fun

2010-07-02T14:44:00.003-04:00

This so far has been by far one of the best summers ever! I think that has to do mostly with the fact that Daniel is here for summer. We have had so much fun with him. I haven't been blogging to much because there just is no time with an extremely active toddler. He is into everything and very rarely sits still. It is a job in itself to get him to sit still to change his diaper or eat. He just loves to move and run and get into things. This will be Daniels first 4th of July and I am excited to see how he does. We have a pretty busy schedule for the weekend. Saturday we have a pig roast that we are throwing with Jason and Ashlee and then on Sunday I think we are going to swim all day (Daniels favorite summer activity). Daniel loves the water so I am pretty sure he won't mind. I love being a mom and being home with him. Today we went to pick up stuff for the pig roast with Ashlee and her little girl Cameron. After we thought we would have lunch in the park and play for awhile. It was a perfect idea for a perfect day. Daniel at first wasn't to sure of the slide but the second time down he loved it and I think his favorite thing to do is to swing. We were in the swings most of the time there. It was a perfect day with friends. Here are some pictures of our lunch date in the park:

I am still in shock that he is here and I am able to take him to the park, God does amazing things when you trust in his plan. I can't wait to see what he has in store for us next! Daniel has done so well in adjusting and attaching I couldn't have asked for a better transition and we know it was all 100% totally a God thing!

Meetcha Day Video

2010-06-22T09:47:00.003-04:00

Finally I am able to upload our Meetcha Day Video. This was one of the best days of our lives!

AWAA Friends!

2010-06-17T22:25:00.003-04:00

Today Daniel and I got to have lunch with some friends also adopting through America World! We were all in different stages, 4 of us had already brought our kids home, 1 was waiting for a referral, 1 was still paperchasing and 1 just accepted their referral. It was so fun to get together and talk. There were 2 other girls there from Ethiopia, so precious and beautiful. The best part was meeting the people who prayed and fasted with us to get Daniel home. One mom Abigail had taken pictures of Daniel in the transition home for us when she picked up her girl Winnie! It was so nice for her to see him again and how well he is doing. Of course Daniel had to be the center of attention! I can't wait for more meetings with more Ethiopian cuties and friends for Daniel. Here is our picture we took after lunch!

1 Month Home

2010-06-17T21:58:00.007-04:00

We have officially been home for one month now with Daniel! A year ago I couldn't imagine holding him in my arms let alone being home a whole month with him. I love hearing him say mama or when he runs up behind me and grabs my legs and buries his head while laughing. He definitely has his own personality and is very outgoing. He loves to explore this and I love the face he makes when he discovers something new. He has had many many firsts in the last month. He has adjusted so unusally well. I know that our case is definitely the exception with little adjustment issues. He has definitely attached to his Daddy. Mark is back to work and the minute he walks into the door after work Daniel is glued to his side! I love watching him with his daddy.

We have had our ups and downs. Nap time is usually a time where Daniel will cry and scream but not every time. It is random, some days he just wants to be laid down in the crib to fall asleep other days he screams unless I hold him until he falls asleep. The days he screams he is overly tired and I am not sure if he is afraid I will not be there when he wakes up. We are working through that. I love watching him sleep. The best part of my day is in the morning when he wakes up and we go in to get him and get the biggest smile ever. Makes waking up in the morning all the better!

Daniel loves to be outside doing anything, especially if he can get dirty.

Not all adjustment and post adoption periods are as easy as ours. Talking to a friend today she said that maybe because we had such a hard time getting to Daniel that God gave us an easy period of adjustment. We will never know, easy or not I would not change our journey for anything. The long long waiting periods, paperwork frustrations and numerous failed court dates were what brought us to this precious beautiful baby boy. God knew what he was doing from the start. He was preparing our hearts, minds and home for a very active 15 month old while we waited. After going through this last month with the joy, tears, hugs and kisses all the frustration, heartache, disappointment and tears seem a million years ago. I still thank God for all that we went through to get to Daniel. I feel because of all that we appreciate what we have and treasure every moment with him even more. God prepared us to be the parents that Daniel needed and prepared Daniel to be the child that we needed. God's plan is always perfect even when we don't think it is. I can not be the mom that Daniel wants or needs me to be without God and I wouldn't want to.

I love being Daniels mommy. Daniel hugs and kisses are now one of my favorite parts of my day!

Happy Referralversary!!!!

2010-06-11T10:03:00.006-04:00

It was one year ago today that we received the phone call that would forever change our lives. "This is your referral call", the best 5 words I had heard all year from Terra. They had a baby who was 3 months and 7 pounds. She said he was absolutely beautiful. Mark and I were both at work when we got the call. Of course as soon as the email came through with the pictures I was out of there and drove to Columbiana so Mark and I could look at his pictures together. It seems so surreal looking back. I can't believe it has been a year. There were so many ups and downs on our journey but through it all God never left our side. We grew stronger and close together as a couple through every delay and disappointment. We saw so many lives changed through people following our journey. Many people who didn't even give adoption a second thought before now. The biggest change though was in our faith. We grew stonger and closer to God as the entire process was completely and totally out of our hands. It was definitely a God thing! With each delay not only came frustration but also an opportunity to show what it truly means to have faith and totally trust in our Lord. In that totally and completely trusting the Lord came a beautiful baby boy who is sleeping as I write this in his crib upstairs. It was all so worth it the first day we got to hold this tiny little gift that God has placed in our care. He has truly blessed our lives and the lives of those around us through this baby boy. Below is a comparison as to where Daniel was a year ago compared to now. What a difference a year and a whole lot of love makes. God is so good to our family and I am so looking forward to see what he has in store for us this year! Daniel has an amazing God story to tell and I am sure God has great things in store for him, I can't wait to see his journey! Enjoy the pictures:

Referral picture:

1 Year later:

We love you little man can't imagine life without you! You are such a joy and we are truly blessed to call you our son. God has done amazing things in your life so far and only has much more in store for you. Your smile lights up a room and your kisses make us melt. We waited so long and prayed so hard to hold you in our arms and here we are one year later, you are home and we are truly blessed to have you call us mommy and daddy! We love you!

Thank you God for this amazing journey you have put us on. Thank you for the most precious gift of a son, of Daniel. This all happened with and through you, and we are forever grateful. Thank you for never leaving us along and guiding us through the entire journey. Your hands held us everytime we cried and everytime we danced with joy. I can't wait to see what you have in store for us this year. You are truly an amazing God and I am so blessed to be called your daughter! We love you, Amen.

Some of my Firsts!

2010-05-28T21:54:00.004-04:00

This week brought a bunch of first time things for Daniel. First time fun things! He took his first ride in a power wheels monster truck, driven by his cousin Ray. It was to cute. He loved it, he loves anything that moves and anything that has wheels.

it was also our first time swimming! We spend the entire day at Grandma's house in the pool. He loved the water and loves to splash! He doesn't even mind getting his face wet. We just have to watch because he has no fear at all and will just throw himself around in the water!

We are adjusting and doing well here. Daniel is on a pretty good sleep schedule, and yes he does sleep through the night! He only wakes up maybe one time, I go in and pick him up and he goes right back to sleep. I think it is more of an adjusting thing for him, like he is waking up to see if we are still here, once he knows we are he goes back to sleep for the rest of the night. He is also a great eater and some of his favorites are french fries, bananas, chicken tenders, pizza and gerber banana cookies. I love being his mom and it is the best gift we could ever ask for. It makes my morning when I walk in his room in the morning and he is standing there, as soon as he sees me he waves and says hi with that big smile of his. He has also learned to blow kisses so he does it all the time now. Even when we are trying to tell him no! He is absolutely amazing and I am so glad he is ours! Don't get me wrong we do have our bad moments where he cries and we have no idea what he wants but we are working through them and they are not very often. Would we do it again now that we are home? Absolutely in a heart beat!

1 Week Home

2010-05-23T20:50:00.004-04:00

Yesterday officially marked our 1st week home with Daniel and we are loving every minute of it. While we do have some struggles (nap time is getting rough) he is a joy and the most precious gift we could receive. Daniel has adjusted well to the house and us. He loves Carmen our dog, or more like loves to pull her tail (and bite it) and poke her eyes and pinch her. We are working on being nice to the dog! The house has been taken over by a toddler. There are toys in every corner and in the middle of the floor. You have to remove a gate to get upstairs (Carmen is not a fan of this) and the drawers in the kitchen are latched shut. We wouldn't change it for anything. Some of his favorites so far seem to be Mark's shoe (house full of toys and he plays with a shoe), pastini, Imagination Movers on Disney and anything that makes noise! He has already picked up drum sticks and started playing on the floor, this makes daddy happy! He is a good eater, eats pretty much anything we give him except macaroni and cheese. He has sleeps all night, sometimes waking up just once. I think he might just be checking to see if we are still here, if I pick him up he goes right back to sleep. He is very attached to Mark and I already, if we leave the room he is looking for us. He says Hi and Bye and waves when people leave. He also started blowing kisses yesterday. I am so thankful for this gift of this precious baby boy. We are all doing well, it is an adjustment for Mark and I as we are first time parents. Our schedule is no longer our own and we usually have to wait until nap time to get anything done (if we are not napping too). We are still working on a schedule for Daniel. He has bed time down pretty good, 8:00 he is ready and you can tell by him rubbing his eyes. This first week has been a blessing. We have not had any major issues or outbursts yet. Mark was home most of the week so we will see this coming week how it goes because Mark is back to work! We have all ended up sick this week with colds and upper respiratory issues. Daniel made his first trip to the doctor. He did wonderful as long as he didn't have to sit to long. We do have to give him a breathing treatment for the cough and rattling in his chest. Have you ever tried to give a 14 month old a breathing treatment? Not fun at all! He does not like sitting that long. Finally the weather is getting nice so we can play outside. He loves to be outside! Oh and everything is a phone. We are not sure where that came from but everything goes up to his ear and he talks into it. When the phone rings immediately whatever is in his hand is up to his ear! It is the cutest thing ever, he has a huge personality! Here are some pictures from our first week home.

Headed Home

2010-05-17T09:37:00.005-04:00

Friday night we started to head home about 6:00 Ethiopia time. We got all our stuff into 4 bags so no baggage fees yeah! The airport wasn't to bad to get into. We checked all our stuff in and then had to wait for a couple of hours. Daniel did not like this waiting. He wanted to run and play and we would not let him. About 1/2 hour before we were suppose to board a man came to see our tickets. He then proceeded to tell us one of us had to come with him because there was something in our suitcases they needed to look at. Great! Mark went with them meanwhile Daniel fell asleep and all I could think about was great how am I going to get our bags and him on the plane if Mark isn't back. He was so fussy! Mark had to go with this guy basically behind the scenes to where our baggage was waiting to get on the plane. Turns out there was our converter, my curling iron and the drum Mark bought that looked odd on the screen when xrayed. Mark made it back before we boarded. We ended up getting the bassinet seat on the plane which was nice for the 4 hours that Daniel slept of the whole 26 hour travel time! He did not want to sleep on the plane so when all was said and done Mark and I ended up being awake for about 48 hours total. On the plane Daniel taught himself how to scream. Loud ear peircing screaming and not upset or mad screaming it was I am having fun playing screaming! Crazy! He would scream and then laugh. I am sure everyone on the plane loved us! Our plane ended up leaving Addis late and then when we stopped to refuel in Rome we left there late. So when we got to DC instead of a 4 hour layover we had about u45 minutes. Just enough time to get something to eat (not plane food) and then get on the plane. Daniel slept through the 40 minute flight from DC to Pittsburgh. It was so nice when we got to Pittsburgh we had a welcoming committee. My mom and dad, RJ, Chris and Little Ray, Marks mom and dad and my grandma and grandpa were all waiting to meet Daniel at the airport. The bad news, our luggage didn't make it on the plane in DC so we had no suitcases! I guess if they were going to get lost coming home would be the best time and not getting into Ethiopia! The car ride home was not to bad either. I figured he would scream the whole way home in his car seat but he didn't. It helped that we stopped at McDonalds and he got french fries! Mark and I wanted Iced tea so bad since we could finally drink the water! When we got home the house was filled with cards from the CRASH kids and volunteers and food everywhere. Marks brother Jon and Lucia and Isabella were here to visit us. It was overwhelming to see the love and support when we got home. All the food was wonderful and there were two great big signs out front welcoming us home. Daniel adjusted quickly. We put him down and he went from room to room playing with the toys and pretty much now runs the house! Here are some pictures from the plane and welcoming home:

Coffee Tour

2010-05-17T08:36:00.008-04:00

Friday was our last day in Ethiopia. Daniel once again showed us a new side to his personality. He is in to everything! Good thing is he loves the baby carrier as long as he is facing out and can see everything. Tonight we will begin our journey home but first we will go to the coffee factory. The coffee factory was pretty cool. There was just bags and bags of coffee beans in a warehouse. We actually saw them roasting our coffee. We brought a ton of it back with us. When they handed us our bag of coffee the individual bags of coffee were still hot. When we got back to the guest house for lunch T was waiting with the best gift ever. Our passport for Daniel and his paperwork to come into the USA. It was so wonderful to have that paperwork in hand. One step closer to having our baby boy home. After lunch Daniel took a long nap while we packed. Let me tell you it is so nice to be able talk normal and pack things moving things around and turning lights on and off with him sleeping in the same room. He is a great sleeper and still sleeping through the night! We are so blessed to have this baby boy in our arms. Here are some pictures of the coffee tour.

Thursday in Ethopia

2010-05-13T17:19:00.000-04:00

So this morning we got to sleep in! I was excited even though sleeping in was like 7:00. I did find out if you do not get up before 6:30 to take a shower you might as well plan on not taking one or taking a freezing cold one. I opted to not take one this morning. We went to Kids Care orphanage to see it, take donations and play with the kids. This is where Daniel came from. The nannies and some of the staff remembered him. The kids there were so excited to see us. they all got suckers and sidewalk chalk, hackisacks and some played with bubbles and jump ropes. It was fun to play with them. They are all so cute and very smart. I met this one girl who I played ball with for a long time, she is there with her brother and she had to be about 7 years old. she was showing me how she can write her name in english and all the pictures she could draw and then write the word for what she was drawing underneath. I so wish I could have just brought her home with me, her brother too. After the orphanage we went to lunch (I am really appreciating the high chair right now since they do not use them over here). Always an interesting time with Daniel. He really opened up today and is starting to show more of his personality. He is testing the limits already. He likes to throw his toys across the room and watch me while he does it to see what I am going to say. He no longer likes to sit still in the car either since here you just hold hte child on your lap they don't use car seats (really appreciating that one too). But he is still as sweet as ever and I am so glad he is getting so comfortable with us. He has a horrible cough, so glad we have a doctor appointment on Thursday! After we came back for a nap we went to see Mt Entoto. This was interesting since you literally drive up to the top of this mountain. On the way up you can see the house made of sticks and mud, lots of people wandering around and the ladies that are carrying huge loads of wood on their backs down the mountain to sell. Mark got some pictures. When you get to the top of the mountain you can see all of Addis Ababa. It is really a beautiful sight. It would have been even better if it wasn't raining. We took a tour of the museum and saw the first church of Addis. It was so sad to see all these kids waiting to come up to our window to beg for money. Mark gave a couple granola bars to eat. It breaks my heart that these children go through this. After the mountain we came back and Daniel and I went to dinner. Mark wanted to lay down, he was not feeling good. Probably all the exersion playing with the kids and lack of water! Tomorrow we will go on the coffee tour in the morning and then we will come back and pack up. Daniels visa should be here by 3:30 and we will be on our way to the airport around 6. While I am sad to leave this beautiful country I am so ready to come home where things like the hot water, electricity (it goes out every night between 6-10) and internet are available all the time. I also really want some chips and salsa without fear of getting sick! This will be the last post from Ethiopia. Tomorrow we are on our way home!

Embassy Day

2010-05-12T18:01:00.001-04:00

Today was our Embassy Appointment day. Last night was great, Daniel fell asleep in my arms around 8:30 and did not wake up until 6:00 this morning! He took a bottle and went right back to sleep for an hour with Mark. Then we ate breakfast and left for the Embassy. We were there for quite awhile since there were 7 families all together. I was a nervous wreck since they ask you quesitons and we still don't know all that much about his background. It was no problem, T was there the entire tiime in case we had an issue. We were the second family to be called into the appointment. Then we just got to sit and hang out and wait for the rest of the families. He is officially ours, we will have the Visa in hand on Friday when we head out for the airport! I can't wait! He is so good. He showed us his personality today more than yesterday. He was smiles and giggles. He is ticklish under his arms and loves to bounce on the bed. He will eat about anything you put in front of him. He has pretty much been eating off of my plate the entire time. We had pizza tonight he will get along well with us, he loved it! For lunch we went to Lucy's it was really good. Daniel did well he played with his trucks and ate 2 rolls. He is so good we couldn't ask for a better baby! Well I have to go put a precious baby to bed. Tomorrow is orphanage day, I think we might try and only do one. We will see!

Gotcha Day

2010-05-12T18:00:00.000-04:00

We woke up this morning so excited for today. Today was the day that Daniel would come home with us forever. I had some anxiety of how he was going to do leaving the transition home since it is the only home he has known for the last year. They nannies were all kissing and hugging him. It takes a special person to be a nanny there. They get so attached to these kids and then have to watch them leave. Especially the ones that are there for a long time. I thank God everyday for those ladies and the care they have given to my son. Anyway, we ate breakfast then had to sort out our donations and pack our very first diaper bag! We all met in the lobby then and went shopping. This was fun, there was so much stuff and so reasonably priced. It was quite interesting the shops were kind of like what we would call a plaza back home but not as developed. They were small and you bartered for the prices (not a fan of this). Our driver David did most of that for us and told us what was a good buy and what was not. Once we were done we were standing outside the shops waiting for other families and the kids started coming up selling gum and tissues and asking if we wanted our shoes shined. It was kind of overwhelming for me because there were a lot of them. Then all of a sudden these 2 ladies came up yelling something with a stick and all the kids ran. We found out these 2 ladies worked with the shops to keep the beggars away from the shoppers. Mark did get his shoes shined by one little boy. He did a great job, even got some of the paint off of his tennis shoes. Another little boy told Robel that he thought he had met Mark before. How funny! Once we were done shopping we were all ready to go. We came back to the guest house and ate lunch. Excellent cook here at the guest house. Then it was time to go. When we got to the transition home we took pictures first of the care packages we brought. Joanna, we love Hope. She is so sweet and fun. And yes we got her to smile and we got her laughing and pulling marks hair on video. I am trying to send you a picture but internet here is not cooperating. Once we were done with that we got Daniel forever. He only fussed for a second. No screaming or crying! We changed his clothes and his diaper (first wonderful surprise). The best part was when we all loaded up in the van and drove away with our kids. Daniel loved the car ride, he kept peeking around the seat to see what was going on, sticking his hand out of the window and playing with the window latch. When we got back to the guest house we played for awhile on the floor and then he just bent in half and fell asleep on my leg. We all three then went in and took a nap. It was so wonderful to wake up looking at my baby boy. Dinner went really well too. He ate 1/2 my rice at dinner and a bottle. We think we figured out that his belly is so bloated because he is always eating. After dinner we gave him his first bath. He was a little unsure about this. I can't wait to bring him home and give him a bath where we can control the temperature of the water a little better. Then the best part of my day putting lotion on him, putting him in his sleeper, wrapping him in his blanket and he fell asleep in my arms. There is now a baby boy sleeping in our room as I write this. I can't wait to see what tomorrow brings. He is the most precious gift from God. I can't wait for you all to meet him. Tomorrow Embassy appointment!

Meetcha Day Pictures

2010-05-11T01:51:00.001-04:00

Hopefully this works! I will post more pics when we get home!

Meetcha Day!!!!

2010-05-10T17:45:00.000-04:00

Today was the day we got to meet Daniel. The morning started off crazy with me jumping out of bed thinking we slept through it all, the travel clock was not ticking anymore and I jumped out of bed grabbed Marks watch and thought it was Noon (we had to meet downstairs at 9:30) it was only 6:30 am I had the watch upside down! We had breakfast with the of the families then we hung out for awhile. Nervous and excitement were definitely setting in. After breakfast was the paperwork party at the Hilton and lunch. This is where we found out that Daniels birthday on his birth certificate was 12-19-08. Quite a shock since we were figuring from paperwork around end of March! Once that shock wore off we finished all our paperwork and had lunch. Then it was time to take the drive to the transition home. We all had cameras ready to get a picture of the infamous gate! We were so excited and anxious and the feeling of this is happening set in! The families went in alphabetical order so we were third in line. When it was our turn we stepped up to the steps and the nanny carried Daniel down them. I can't even explain the emotions when she put him in our arms. At first he was so unsure, he started to throw himself backwards to get out of my arms! This is typical since he has known these nannies for a year as his only caregivers. He warmed up to us pretty quick as long as he didn't see the nannies. We had a consultation with the doctor to go over all his medical records. In meeting with the doctor he confirmed that his birthday was February 22, 2009 not December 29, 2008. It was a mistake in translation of dates on one of the forms. This lined up more with what we were thinking and his development. We got to play with him and feed him a bottle. We had a couple of meltdowns which is to be expected but he seemed to calm down quickly when Mark held him. We did figure out that he loves Gerber Banana Cookies! We are definitely saving some of those for the plane ride home! We got to meet Daniels favorite nanny Serawit. She came right before we had to leave and she brought him a traditional Ethiopian outfit. She put it on him when she changed his diaper and we were able to take pictures of her holding him and one of all of us together. He is obviously very attached to her, as she is to him. Leaving was hard but knowing that tomorrow he will be with us forever made it easier. His own forever family. After the transition home the girls went to the spa for manicures. This was nice and relaxing after the emotional rollercoaster we were on all day. The boys stayed and hung out at the Guest House. After that we got to go for a traditional Ethiopian dinner complete with traditional dancing and music. It was extremely good. We have lots of video and pictures we will post when we get home. I can't even put into words the feelings and emotions of today. I thank God for this precious gift He has given to us and I thank him for the work he is doing through the nannies when these children are not able to be home. Tomorrow he is ours forever! Our lives have truly been changed forever!

Day 3

2010-05-09T21:15:00.002-04:00

Today is Sunday. Last night our suitemates arrived The Farris's. It is so nice to put a name with the families you read about on the yahoo group. Very nice new friends who are getting a baby boy. Yes we will have 2 boys in our suite very soon 6 months and 1 year. Should get really interesting. Today we got up early and had breakfast with our new friends the Farris's and the Shorts. After breakfast our friends the Sullivans (who I have been talking to online for a couple of months) arrived (crazy interesting journey to get here) and then we were off to a church service at St Matthew Anglican Church with the Farris's and Shorts. It was such a beautiful service. You don't realize how universal christianity is until you are in Africa reading from the same bible and singing the same praise and worship songs. We sang Shout to the Lord. People were there to listen to the message and praise God, not to complain about if the temperature was right, there was no air conditioning, if the piano was to loud, it wasn't you could barely hear it over the singing. Unlike many of our church's back home today where we worry about material on the surface things and not the real reason we go to church every Sunday. After church the whole congregation went out to the lawn and mingled and drank tea. We talked to people from Great Britian, Austrilia, Congo, Ethiopia and America. So many people from different countries together worshiping the same God the same Creator. After church we went to lunch with some missionaries who are living over here helping local hospitals distribute medications and help set up after school programs to help teach social skills. We had plans to go to Mt Entoto today but the rain moved in so we would not have been able to see anything. So we will hopefully get to go another day. Instead we hung out with the other families that arrived so far there are 5 of us here and I believe 1 more on the way. We all had dinner together and then went up on the roof of the Guest House and hung out for awhile. It is so nice to finally get to meet and talk with the other families we have been communicating with for so long. We have made some great new friends today. Tomorrow is the big day! We get to meet Daniel! Pictures will hopefully be up tomorrow. We can't believe it is finally here. We have a paperwork party in the morning, then we get to meet our son

Day 2

2010-05-08T20:37:00.001-04:00

Today was a much better day and I am happy to report - NO FEVER! About 2 hours after breakfast it finally broke while we were out running around and I feel wonderful! So we finally actually got to leave the room. We hired a driver Abraham, he was very nice and stayed with us the entire time. It is definitely an experience to drive around over here, we wouldn't be able to do it if we wanted to. There are not street lights, stop signs or anything. It is kind of like just beep your horn and go! Cars go pretty much where ever they want to go. People just walk in front of the cars without looking and the cars don't really stop for people, they just beep the horn! We saw our first glimpse of how severe the poverty is in this country. There were shacks on the side of the road that were literally just 3 metal walls and a metal roof. People sitting and living on the side of the streets everywhere. We did have 2 young children knock on the window of our car as we were driving asking us to buy gum. They could not have been more than 6 or 7 if that. There are dogs everywhere just walking around (and yes they are still fighting and barking all night long) and random donkeys and goats on the streets. We did see one man waiting for a ride or something with a lamb hogtied. We were not really sure if the lamb was still alive, I am guessing not. Our first stop was the National Museum. We had a personal guide for all the exhibits in the museum, which included skeletons and skulls that were over 4 million years old. Also lots of artifacts for alters for different religions in the BC times, as well as lots of Ethiopian history through paintings, royal thrones, wardrobes and weapons. Mark enjoyed it very much. The paintings were so interesting. Ethiopian artists have a way of distinguishing themselves based on the eyes of the characters they are painting. In the religious paintings if a face is only seen from the side showing 1 eye this person was considered a bad guy (something I learned from the tour today). An example was the painting of the last supper where Judas was shown with his head turned and only one eye visible. Our next stop was the Lion Zoo. This was kind of different. You could actually walk up to the cages the lions were in and be about a foot from the lion. If you wanted to you could reach your hand in and touch them. No one was doing this! We took pictures of Mark with his head down by them. One of the pictures the outside fence was not there. He wanted to pet it, I did not think that was a good idea! There were also baboons here. Some of the men around the cage were making noises at them and the baboons were going crazy and screaming back, opening its mouth showing all its teeth, then it would charge at the fence. It was funny only because we were a little further away this time. After the Lion Zoo was the Addis Ababa Ethiopian Studies Museum on the campus of Addis Ababa University. The museum used to be a royal palace. It contained many historical artifacts from past emperors and rulers of Ethiopia as well as traditional musical instruments. Mark bought a traditional ethiopian instrument that is similar to a banjo and a drum. Next stop was lunch at the Blue Top. Excellent food! We had little pieces of bread with salsa/tomato stuff. Mark had a pepper steak that he loved and I had spaghetti. Much better spaghetti than the night before. It was a very nice day, we enjoyed learning more about the country and meeting the people. They are very proud of their country and loved to teach us about it. Everyone is so nice and friendly and more than willing to help. More adventures tomorrow!

Day 1

2010-05-07T21:42:00.000-04:00

Today was pretty uneventful. We stayed in our room and I slept the whole day. My fever was all over the board. I am hoping tomorrow is better. We talked to another couple here who said they felt the same way their first day here. So far since about 2:00 this morning the fever seems to have broke. It sucks being sick and so far away. Mark was worried he would have to figure out where to take me! We did walk down the street to the Zebra Grill for dinner. Mark really liked his spaghetti with meat (what kind of meat we are really unsure). I had spaghetti with tomatoes, wasn't a fan of it. I have a feeling I am going to be living on granola bars for the next week! I did have some eggs this morning but they didn't seem to sit to well, they were scrambled but they weren't the normal yellow color like at home. I am not very adventurous with food! There is a school outside our hotel and it was so sweet seeing all the little kids in their uniforms outside singing Mary Had a Little Lamb and counting in English very loudly! The streets here are pretty muddy, especially today because it rained. It is kind of strange when we walked to the Zebra Grill on the side of the road were about 5 dogs curled up under the trees sleeping. It is strange to me because we don't see wild dogs at home. These must be the dogs that are howling and fighting all night long! Well it is about 4 in the morning and I should try and get some more sleep. I think I am all sleeped out since that is all I did today! Hopefully we will have some pictures from our adventures tomorrow to post!

We Are Here!!!

2010-05-06T21:14:00.001-04:00

We have safely made it to Ethiopia! 24 hours of travelling and 17 of it on 1 plane. It wasn't to bad we tried to sleep alot. We met the Trevinos in the airport in Washington DC so it was nice to have someone to go through customs with and figure out the whole visa thing and changing money. We had no problems at either airport. We even got lucky as we were checking in our bags in Pittsburgh and didn't have to pay the baggage fees! That was totally a God thing. We are now checked into our hotel thanks to Robel and we are ready to relax. It is about 11:30 here so we are going to try and get some sleep and catch up to the time change. We will see how that goes. We will try and update as much as possible but the internet connection here is a little slow. We can't even get on the blog so we will continue emailing Laura when possible with updates, as long as she doesn't mind!

Packed and Ready to Go

2010-05-04T23:35:00.003-04:00

We start our journey in 10 hours! I can't believe this day is here. We have been so blessed to have so much family and friends and even people we don't even know supporting us on this journey. We are finally on the last leg. We head to the airport tomorrow morning at 9:30. Our flight leaves at 2:00pm for Washington DC and at 8:30 we will board our plane to make that final leg to Ethiopia. 2 years plus we have been on this adoption rollercoaster. We will finally hold our baby boy in 6 days. In 11 days he will be home. I was talking to my cousin tonight and she said to me "the next time you walk in your house you will have a kid!". I haven't even stopped to think about it. We are about to receive God's most precious gift! A child, a child we have prepared for, a child we have wanted for so long and most of all a child we have prayed for. We knew when we started this journey that this was a complete and total God thing. He was in control, timing and all. And He is finally bringing the best gift we could possibly ask, wish or want for, our baby Daniel. What will that first meeting be like? Will he smile? What will he smell like? Will he wrap his little fingers in mine? Will he play with us or will he be scared? Will he like the food we brought for him? Will he sleep through the night? All questions only God knows the answer to. I can't wait to get the answers!

This week has been crazy, packing, shopping, cleaning and more shopping. I think Walmart knows me by name, I have been there every day. We have officially packed 5 bags and 1 tupperware tub. Not quite sure how we are going to get these through the line with just two of us but we will manage. 4 bags of donation items,2 carry on bags, 1 purse, 1 bag for Daniel and somehow Mark and I are sharing a bag. I think this is the first time ever that we have shared a bag to go somewhere other than over night! Here is a picture of our luggage pile minus the bag Mark and I are sharing:

I also want to thank everyone in advance who is helping make this less stressful for me (slightly OCD). From taking us to the airport, picking us up, mailing bills, taking care of emails from AWAA while we are in the air tomorrow, taking care of the dog, staying at our house, making sure there is food when we come home, etc. We love you guys and couldn't do all of this without you. I can't wait for you all to meet Daniel!

Love ya, the next post will be from Ethiopia! (as long as internet is cooperating)Hopefully!

48 Hours

2010-05-03T13:59:00.002-04:00

In 48 hours we will be on a plane headed to Washington DC!!!!! This time next week we will have already met our baby boy!! I can't believe this is happening finally. Bags are almost packed, all the shopping is done now to clean the house.

Oh and I am officially done working for 3 months!!!

Ethiopia here we come.

WE ARE LEAVING!!!!!!!!!!

2010-04-28T15:33:00.002-04:00

So we got the call this morning after I had given up the hope to travel the first week of May! Kristen called and said we can travel next week!!!!!!!! Our Embassy appointment is May 12th, we will meet our son on May 10th! We will finally after 2 years hold our baby boy! I am still shaking with excitement and overwheming panic! We leave in less than a week, God is amazing how he makes things work! A friend of mine that is also adopting from the same agency sent me the following scriptures last night after I had emailed her that it is God's plan not mine, I have told myself that through this whole journey and was going to keep reminding myself:

"He told them, 'You don't get to know the time. Timing is the Father's business.'" - Acts 1:7

"Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails." - Proverbs 19:21

So unbelievably true and I can't believe I had not run across these scriptures before this. God's plan is so great and perfect! Oh and more great news, this same friend will also be travelling with us! We will get to hold our baby boys together and meet them for the first time together! God puts the perfect people in our paths at the perfect time.

There is so much to do and literally so little time! Ethiopia here we come!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Idol Gives Back to Ethiopia

2010-04-21T21:55:00.005-04:00

Tonight on American Idol David Cooke when to Ethiopia. It was after watching footage of children in Africa on Idol Gives Back in 2008 that we choose the country to bring our son home from, Ethiopia. We could no longer sit and watch the images scroll across the screen of child after child alone on the streets and dying. We would start the best journey of our lives to bring a baby boy, our baby boy Daniel home to his Forever Family. In the information we have learned of Ethiopia while waiting to travel this will not be our last journey. We can not stop at one child, so many need homes, they need love, hugs and kisses and Forever Families. They don't have a mom or dad to tell them they love them, they don't have a mom and dad to kiss them good night, they don't have a mom and dad to tell them Jesus loves them. Babies are taking care of babies, malnourished because they don't have enough food to eat. This is not ok with me, no child should be without a Forever Family or some place to call home! Disease and Poverty are taking over in this country and many others just like it and I for one can not just sit silent and watch. It amazes me how little it takes to help save a child's life, a families live so that child is not alone. $10 can buy Mosquito net for an entire family so they can sleep without worry of getting bit by a mosquito infected with Malaria. $10 is what we spend at McDonald's or Taco Bell without even thinking about it! We don't think about our kids starving or living on the streets because their parents died of HIV. The region where Daniel comes from has a high rate of HIV leading to a high percentage of street kids. We are talking kids 6-7 and possible younger. Think about it. We currently sponsor a child through Compassion International who lives in Rwanda. For $38 dollars a month a child can receive ongoing christian training, educational opportunities, treatment and training to maintain health, development of self confidence and social skills and key life skills and vocational programs. This is $1 a day, one meal that you don't eat out, one new outfit that you just don't need. There are many programs to help a child, world vision is another one. Some families from our adoption agency also started a foundation, visit www.intothestreetsofethiopia.com for more information.

What does God say about orphans? Good question:
Father to the fatherless, defender of widows — this is God, whose dwelling is holy. God places the lonely in families. -Psalms 68:5-6

Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you. -James 1:27

Learn to do good. Seek justice. Help the oppressed. Defend the cause of orphans. Fight for the rights of widows. -Isaiah 1:17

Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves; ensure justice for those being crushed. Yes, speak up for the poor and helpless, and see that they get justice. -Proverbs 31:8-9

There are approximately 5 million children in Ethiopia that are orphans or have lost at least 1 parent. Less than 1/2 of the Ethiopians have access to clean drinking water. More than 2 in 5 children don't finish their primary education. The average annual income in Ethiopia is $220. Nearly 2 in 5 people in Ethiopia struggle to survive on $1.25 a day.

Children should not be living on the streets or starving or dying of disease that can be prevented.

Are you ok with these statistics? I am not. What are we going to do about it? That is the question. We can make a difference all we have to do is try!

Strength

2010-04-21T12:53:00.002-04:00

Since I talked to Kristen Monday I have been praying to God constantly for one thing: Strength. Strength to wait for the next call that says you are travelling, strength to not be terrified of what comes next (packing really fast!), strength to make it through day to day, strength for my friends that are still waiting for news to bring their baby home, strength for all who are on this adoption journey with us. Strength is a funny thing. I remember way back when we received Daniel's referral telling Mark "I don't have the strength to make it through court closures". That was 9 months ago! I have tried to pay attention to how many times a day I hear someone say, including myself, I don't have the strength, I can't make it through, I can't do this. Travelling makes me nervous and then adding a 1 year old that doesn't know me and I have never been a mom to a 1 year old before makes me even more nervous, for these 2 things specifically I question "Do I have the strength". Answer is yes and if I don't God will give it to me! It has been that way through every stage of this journey. We always seem to doubt ourselves and our capablilites but with God we don't have to! He will give us what we need, when we need it to get through whatever situation he puts us in. We all have the strength we just have to trust in God to give it to us. God gives us the strength is different ways too. It may come in the form of a friend who is extremely encouraging and offers to come pack for you if you can't do it! It may be a card you read in a store or receive in the mail. For me a big source of my strength is the love of my life, my husband. He picks up the pieces when I can't. I thank God for all the people he puts in my life to help provide me with the strength I need. We could be travelling any day now so I definitely need His strength to not completely freak out when we get that call that we can travel in 5 days (I am slightly OCD and last minute travel plans make me nervous). So basically in all my rambling the bottom line is we are stronger than we think when God is on our side! I came across this verse today, it kind of sums up how I made it through this journey so far:

"When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
and when you pass through the rivers they will not sweep over you.
When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned;
the flames will not set you ablaze.
For I am the Lord, your God,
the Holy One of Isreal,
your Savior."
-Isaiah 43:2-3

Praying for strength today for all who are waiting!

Travel News..Just a little

2010-04-19T13:05:00.002-04:00

I talked to Kristen at AWAA today. Our case is at the Embassy good news, they are still investigating and taking a little longer. At this point there are no red flags that could hold us up, our case is just a little out of the ordinary (honestly didn't think travel would come easy after the journey we have been on). So she said that once the investigation is done we should be good to go. Please continue to pray with us, we are so ready. If the investigation is done soon we can still make travelling in May, possibly even as little as 3 weeks from now.

there is a light at the end of the tunnel and it is getting brighter!

Waiting Some More

2010-04-16T15:15:00.002-04:00

Sometimes I feel as if this whole adoption process is a test to see how well you can wait! Every stage in the process seems to have a whole lot of waiting. We are currently in the waiting by the phone for travel information stage. It has been 4 weeks today since we passed court. We have no idea when we will get that call for travel and we have no idea how much lead time we will have before we have to get on a plane. I just keep praying for strength and paitence from God, he knows when we will go I just wish he would share! To me it seems to be the most stressful stage (for an OCD personality like mine), you can't plan anything because you don't know if you will be here. You can't pack because what if it is another 2 months and he grows another 5 pounds (seems to be the trend with him). I haven't really thougth about it or stressed about it to much until this week for some reason, maybe it is a sign that it is coming. For now we are just taking one day at a time, we may be here tomorrow we may be planning to leave! Whatever the timing I know it will be perfect. So many people have commented on how precious our baby boy is and they got to see him and play with him. I can't wait until we can post that information, how cute he is, what he smells like, how soft his skin is, what his laugh sounds like, how wobbly he is while he is walking (pretty sure he is doing that by now), what it feels like when he hugs you, what it feels like when he smiles at you, how exhausted we are when we aren't sleeping, what his favorite foods are, etc. There are quite a few families that are in the same waiting stage we are right now. I am thankful for the support of those families who really truly know what it is like to do nothing but wait, completely out of your control timelines and to keep hearing we don't know anything yet, we will be in touch soon. Makes me want to scream some days! But for now we will continue to just wait, paitently, dreaming of that day we get to hold his sweet hand.

Please pray for the other families also waiting in line with us. Please pray that the embassy investigations move quickly, all paperwork is in order, passports are complete and that we all get the call soon. I would so love to travel with this group of friends I have made doing nothing but waiting!

Good things come to those who wait! Waiting paitently on God is the key!

Easter Weekend

2010-04-05T17:19:00.005-04:00

He is Risen! Jesus died on that cross for me, 3 days later he rose from the dead so that we may have hope! Hope in an eternal life with him in Heaven! For thaT I am so grateful. We have hope for a future! Yesterday was a great day celebrating with our family and friends. I can't wait for next year when Daniel will be there to celebrate with us. Here are a few pictures from our Easter weekend:

This is our niece Isabella helping me color easter eggs:

This is our nephew Ray, his suit matched my brothers. It was too cute!

These girls are my cousins Kimberly and Christina:

I can't wait for next year to add my little Ethiopian prince in the pictures. These kids can't wait to have him here either! Praying this week is our week to hear something about travel and to receive his Ethiopian birth certificate. We will then know his birthday (pretty sure it was last week but not positive)! Our little man could already be 1! I need to get packing so we are ready!

March Update

2010-03-31T08:43:00.004-04:00

We recieved new pictures and our March update yesterday. I can't believe how big he is getting! Here is what we know:

Weight: 23 pounds (2 more pounds since last month)
Height: 27 inches

* He takes 5-7 ounces of formula 7 times a day, along with veggies, fruit, cereal, pasta, rice and meat
* He stands and claps without support for a few seconds
* He can climb from his bed to the floor (SERIOUSLY?)
* He is active and playful
* When he is angry he throws a tantrum (he will throw himself on the floor and roll)
* He is outgoing and active
* He is happiest in the morning, he plays with the nannies and other children
* He is taking a few steps by himself
* He has 6 teeth
* H likes to play with kids of his age

Now for the pictures:

Praying for travel dates soon! I can't wait to hold him and see that precious face in person!

More Pictures

2010-03-29T21:13:00.004-04:00

Here are some more pictures from the Ferrel's.

He is so cute and getting so big! I can't wait to go!

Where to start!!!

2010-03-29T20:42:00.003-04:00

It has been a little over a week since we passed court and it is still unbelieveable everytime I say "my son" or "Our son". We have been so busy celebrating with family and friends. I know I have said it before and probably will say it 100 times again, We have great friends and family. Now it is time to start thinking about travelling. We could potentially travel by mid May. That reality is sinking in. So much to do that I don't even know where to start. Tonight I thought I would start with the donation items. So far we have one bag packed full of donation items (shoes, clothes, wipes, diapers, formula, crayons, etc) and I believe we have made the 50 lb weight limit, though I am nervous to check it. Donation items aren't the cause of the overwhelming feeling though.

I realized we have to pack for a 1 year old child. We have never had a child before, there are a lot of questions running through my brain. What if we forget something we need? What do we need? How much formula do we take? How many diapers? What size clothes? They just keep coming and coming and coming. I know that it is not that complicated. Up until this point this seemed like a dream, I always knew we were going to Ethiopia but until now it was never a reality. We are going to bring home a 1 year old child! Do we have the right things for him, is the house ready? More questions! When we found out we were delayed we kind of put everything on hold. Now need to kick it in high gear. So much to do and hopefully so little time!

Please pray for quick travel dates, we need to receive an Embassy appointment before we can travel. We could find out our appointment on a Monday and travel by Friday. We are getting so excited! I can't wait to hold my baby boy!

February Update

2010-03-20T09:53:00.003-04:00

I just realized in all the craziness of court we forgot to put up his February update, now we can add pictures too!

Update:
Weight: 21 pounds
Height: 26.8 inches

Here is what we know:
* He is eating well
* He understands and obeys simple commands like come here, take this, sleep...
* He can stand with little support
* He likes to play with toy cars and trucks
* He likes to be held (not a problem!)
* He is babbling
* He is mostly in 12 month clothes
* One question we asked was does he share well with other kids and the answer was:
He hits them if they take his toys! (I love it, he is strong willed)

Here are the pictures we got with this update:

Still Praising God!

2010-03-20T09:39:00.006-04:00

I still can't believe he is finally our son! We are finally beginning the journey to bring Daniel home. It still may be up to 8 weeks before we get to travel but at least we know he is ours forever! God is so good and I am so thankful we have never lost faith, in fact we have grown in our faith and love for God through this journey. I can't believe we can finally see the day ahead when we will be holding Daniel in our arms and kissing those chubby cheeks. I can't wait! We have not stopped thanking and praising God yet and I don't think in my heart we ever will. God has given us the best gift he could have given us. A beautiful bright eyed baby boy and he is all ours. I can't wait to bring him home and go for walks, go play in the park, just hold him and rock him to sleep, watch him play with his cousins, open his Christmas presents (yes we have not opened his Christmas presents and the tree is still up with all of them underneath it, they are his and they will wait for him to come home), kiss his cheeks and just tell him how much he is loved. I want to thank everyone for the love and support you have given us through this journey. The angels were having one big party yesterday when he was declared officially a Heddleson. Now we have to pray for quick travel plans. Also please keep other families waiting to pass court from AWAA in your prayers. There were quite a few of us that went to court yesterday but did not pass because MOW@ didn't right all the letters. Please pray for their hearts and strength as we know first hand how hearing that you didn't pass because there wasn't a letter is so incredibly hard. It is all worth it though when you get that call that you passed and the child is officially yours! Here are a few pictures that weren't in the video. These were taking March 2nd by the McDaniel family:

DANIEL ABDI KELILE HEDDLESON

2010-03-19T10:31:00.001-04:00

He is officially ours!

Make photo slide shows at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Making it through the rain

2010-03-10T21:02:00.002-05:00

Many people have made the comment in the last few days, "I don't know how you do this. I couldn't make it through something like this". It didn't hit me until today when I was listening to a great song that one of my great friends brought to my attention, Bring the Rain by MercyMe (video is posted below). I remember telling Mark those very words when we were worried about getting stuck in the court closures in August. I have made it through that and so much more. I think sometimes we second guess just how strong we can be and most of the time we are not even looking at where that strength comes from. You see, when I can't stand anymore, when I feel like I can go on I know in my heart there is someone that loves me and will give me what I need when I need it, including the strength to make it through the rain! When the rain pours down on us we tend to drown in it, in the negative in the why me's. I have found over the last year when the rain pours down I just let it pour over me, I know that the rain is coming for a reason and that someone bigger than me is holding me so that I don't have to drown in the why me! What good does that do anyway. There are so many things that I thought would absolutely crush me in this adoption journey, not seeing the first time my son sits up, tries more than formula, smiles, crawls, stands, etc. In reality (and the reality didn't come until I was ready to face it) these things are strengthing me. Why they are happening I don't know, I don't need to know. The future is already decided for our family and we plan to embrace it. We turn our praises in the rain to the one that is always there. And I mean always there, when we can't walk He is carrying us. When we breakdown and cry, His arms are around us. So when people say "I don't think I would be able to make it through", I smile and say "you are stronger than you think, you would be able to make it through and you never know what you can handle until it is given to you". What a testimate of faith our son is going to have because we never said "We can't make it through"! Someone just posted on our yahoo group the following line from a devotion "Most people glance at God and gaze at circumstances. We need to gaze at God and glance at circumstances!" I am so thankful that I have been gazing at God and when we do that the circumstances don't seem to be quite so bad! Enjoy the song below, it may just be one of my new favorite songs!

Bring the Rain
by: MercyMe

Perspective

2010-03-08T19:56:00.002-05:00

I do have to admit, today has been an extremely long trying day! The day didn't start off so good so I had a feeling court wasn't passing. When I got the call from Anna I just broke. I was so looking forward to passing court today and calling him my own officially. It feels sometimes like we are caught in a loop that is absolutely never ending! The words God will not give us more than we can handle keep going through my mind. A little more of what happened today, we did not pass court due to MOW@ not working, they were suppose to. The judge also is not happy and is extremely frustrated with them. He actually sent a subpoena to MOW@ for that letter. They said that this has never happened before. Everyone is frustrated. I actually pulled into my garage and screamed at Satan to let my son go! I have made the decision that no matter what happens from this day forward I am not going to let it have an affect on my like it did today (completely unable to breath!). God is in control and I am going to continue to praise him and not stress of that which I can not control. In the right timing I will have my baby in my arms and all of this will fade away! This verse was posted earlier and I thought it so fitting:

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.”
James 1:2."

Please continue to pray with us, March 19th is going to be a day of celebration! First stop is going to be Starbuck's (I have given up coffee until we pass court, harder than I thought it would be)!

#8 Tonight

2010-03-07T20:06:00.002-05:00

Tonight is our 8th court date! While we sleep an Ethiopian judge will decide what we already know, Daniel is a Heddleson. Please pray for all electricity to stay on, all letters to be completed and in the judges hands and for the words we hear when we get the phone call to be "you passed". Can't wait to put pictures on here tomorrow!

God you can move the mountains! You have the power to make the electricty stay on and letters get to where they need to be. Please be with the judge as he reviews our information and the rep from MOW@ as they are writing the letters. Please make sure all things are in order and Daniel can finally begin his journey home. There are so many people praying for him as you know. Please hear our prayers and officially make him a Heddleson. We love you Lord and know if anyone can take care of this it is You. Amen!

He Loves Us

2010-03-04T20:06:00.003-05:00

Now that the shock of not passing court a 2nd time due to power outages has worn off I have had time to think. When Mark called me I have to admit I was extremely instantly angry! Seriously power outages, we don't even think about electricity here. Do you think to yourself everytime you walk into a room is the light going to turn on, or do we have power? I know I don't. I just take for granted the fact that the light will turn on when I tell it too. As angry as this has made me feel earlier today I have had time to process. At one point the thought passed in my mind "God do you really love me? Because if you did this would be over by now!" Now don't get me wrong I know that God loves me with all my heart but in the heat of the moment for a split second the thought crossed my mind. Mark sent me this song today and it was perfect for what I was feeling. I had heard the song before but never really listened to the words. Once I listened to it I started to think of all the ways God has shown me in the last two days that He loves me! The biggest way is the gift of my husband! He is my rock and he has brought me closer to God. He is the love of my life and God knew that he would be perfect for me. We would be able to handle the 8 court dates together, if one of us is ready to break the other is there to pick us up. In the last 10 hours God has shown me His love through the numerous emails of encouragement and support from my friends, family and my Yahoo Group Friends. When I feel like I can't do this anymore for that split second and email would come through with a scripture verse or another form of encouragement. Or someone totally annonymous would post on the blog saying how they are praying for us and we are an inspiration to them. A junior high student from CRASH would email me or facebook me with excitement waiting to hear the words that we passed and when I email back that didn't happen I get an email with the words "I am praying and I love you". God loves me and there is no other love like that! I know I have said this 1000 times over, I am so glad that He is my friend and He is in my corner and when I can't stand He will carry me through. So I know in my heart my baby boy will be home soon God just wanted some more time with him to build our hearts up! I love him for that! The video below is the song Mark sent me

How He Love Us by: David Crowder

Didn't Pass Again!

2010-03-04T10:10:00.002-05:00

Well Mark got the call we didn't pass again. Apparently we have power outages again today and MOW@ couldn't write the letter. They process the letters on the day of court and since they had no power they couldn't process the letter! All I can say is "Seriously" is this a joke! This is twice we have had to reschedule court dates due to power issues. Our next date is on Monday March 8th. Please continue to pray and continue to pray specifically for power in Ethiopia!

Court #7 Tonight

2010-03-03T07:40:00.002-05:00

Tonight is our court date. Lucky #7. While we sleep our case will go before the Ethiopian judge again. Please pray with us that all paperwork is complete and in the judges hands. I can't wait to finally say Daniel is officially a Heddleson! God is good and he can make this happen.

Lord, I put my hope in You. I submit my life to You. Help me pray and trust you completely as we finish this journey. You are good and You deserve all the praise. Good things come to those who wait! Amen

My soul, wait silently for God alone, for my expectation is from Him.
-Psalm 62:5

5 more days

2010-02-26T13:56:00.008-05:00

5 more days until our next court date. Praying for God's timing to line up with ours. I just read this scripture on the yahoo group and thought it was so fitting:

"So let's not allow ourselves to get fatigued doing good. At the right time we will harvest a good crop if we don't give up, or quit. Right now, therefore, every time we get the chance, let us work for the benefit of all, starting with the people closest to us in the community of faith." Galatians 6:9-10 The Message

I have also been listening to the following song over and over today. This song is by Mercy Rising, a christian band that Mark is the drummer for. I am so proud of what they are doing and the ministry they have created with their music. The very first line of this song is "Sun rises, sun sets, how long will you forget. How long will you forget me God...." I can't tell you how many times I have thought (even if only for a brief moment) those exact words while on this adoption journey. You really have to put all your trust in God and lay it all down, no matter how hard it is. There are so many unknowns and things that you don't understand and probably never really will. That is why I am so glad I have a God that loves me and is always there so I don't have to try and understand. I just have to trust in His love! To listen to part of the song go to:

I would add the MPG3 file here but can't figure out how!

Court Date #7

2010-02-22T20:39:00.003-05:00

Anna called today. Our next court date is March 4th. Lucky number 7. Please pray that this is the day God plans to complete our family! Please also pray for other AWAA families. There were quite a few today that went to court but did not pass because they didn't have the recommenddation letter from the ministry of women's affairs. I know personally how completely frustrating that one piece of paper can be! Praying for God's grace and for him to move the mountains to bring these children to their forever families. A lot of people love them!

Amazing God.

2010-02-21T21:12:00.002-05:00

Our God is an amazing God. I have definitely felt the prayers and support over the last few days. Last week was without a doubt the most difficult week we have went through with this adoption journey. It was so much, ups and downs, within a short timeframe. We have received so many emails of support and encouragement that I am overwhelmed with the love that is already there for our baby boy. Especially my friends in the yahoo group. Friends that I have never met face to face and have only interacted with over the internet. I do not know what we would do without this support system. They have been through the fire and have come out on the other side. As I was asking myself and God why on Thursday I received an email that said simply, maybe God gave this child to us because he knew we would continue to persevere for him. We would not give up without a fight. Any family who received this referral would have went through all these trials and maybe some families would have grown weary and gave up by now. I know without a doubt 100% in my heart that this child is the one we will call our own. We were made to be parents to this baby boy. I will not give up without a fight. That doesn't mean that this fight is not trying and emotionally exhausting. But I cling to the fact, the bible says God will not give us more than we can handle. Though we may feel like we can't handle one more thing and at the time it may be difficult but He has never left my side and He never will. He has put the right people in the right places to lift me up. When we were to weak to stand on our own, He put the people there to stand up for us. We are being held the entire way through this process. When we are weak, He is strong. It is in this I find my strength and comfort. It is my faith and love for God and more importantly, His love for me that will get us through. There have been numerous times this weekend where I just wanted to climb up in Jesus lap and not leave the comfort of his arms. I have been listening to the song by MercyMe "Keep Singing". The lyrics go like this:

Another rainy day
I can't recall having sunshine on my face
All I feel is pain
All I wanna do is walk out of this place
But when I am stuck and I can't move
When I don't know what I should do
When I wonder if I'll ever make it through

I gotta keep singing
I gotta keep praising Your name
Your the one that's keeping my heart beating
I gotta keep singing
I gotta keep praising Your name
That's the only way that I'll find healing

Can I climb up in Your lap
I don't wanna leave
Jesus sing over me
I gotta keep singing

Can I climb up in Your lap
I don't wanna leave
Jesus sing over me
I gotta keep singing

Oh You're everything I need
And I gotta keep singing

I have found great comfort and strength in music through this journey. It seems every day I find a new song that seems to speak to the journey we are on. I just turn up the radio really loud in the car and sing to God as loud as I can because when I can't find the words to say what I am feeling, there always seems to be a song that sums it up better than I could. Even though God already knows what is on my mind and in my heart. I love the fact that I am not in this alone, I have the comfort of my father's arms around me holding me up when I can not stand. I would be lost without Him.

Please pray as we start this week, we do not know what is going to happen or if things will move quickly. PLease pray for our hearts, strength and paitence as we start another leg of this journey and only God knows his plan. I am praying with all my heart that his plan is to bring our baby home! But no matter what his plan, I will continue to keep singing and praising His name because He is the one that keeps my heart beating!

Did not pass again....

2010-02-18T10:56:00.002-05:00

Once again we did not pass court today. We did get the letter from MOW@ but the person who wrote it based his information off of the "original file" that was incorrect from October. They did not look at the entire file to review all the new information from the investigation and rework done in Nazareth which is the correct information for Daniel. So what happens now is we will go to the court tomorrow and appeal the rejection letter (the court is aware of all this and hopefully will get things moving quickly), the court will then subpoena MOW@. A new letter will get written and we will get a new court date. We currently do not have a new date as of today, hopefully we will get more information tomorrow.

Frustrated and heartbroken....

Please pray for all this to come together quickly. Please pray for paitence and strength for us as we continue to wait.

Greatest Support System

2010-02-17T20:48:00.003-05:00

I just want to say we have the best support system I could ever ask for. I have definitely felt the love and definitely the prayers from everyone the last few days. These have been the hardest 3 days I think I have ever been through emotionally without a doubt. I am so thankful to God for putting the people we need in our lives at the perfect time. I don't think we could have made it this far in this adoption without two things, the first being God. He has been our rock and held me when I didn't think I could make it through. I feel his love and support most, especially when I hear the words I am sorry unfortunately... (just an FYI not one of my favorite sayings, along with "just one more day"). I am glad he loves me more than I can comprehend or even begin to understand. Second, our friends and family. Tonight I was not in the best of moods and mentally and physically exhausted from the last couple of days. Wednesday nights are CRASH nights (our junior high/middle school program at church), once again I asked if the kids could pray for our case tonight. Let me tell you the best encouragement you can get comes from a junior high student. Their laughs are infectious and they love having something to be part of (like praying to bring a baby boy home from Ethiopia). Tonight after we watched video and talked about the great weekend they had last weekend at CIY. Then after a song and invitation to get baptised, we gathered as a group with me in the middle and they prayed over me for our court date tomorrow. 3 students prayed (I love the prayers of a junior high student). Then we had a cake, it was so cute, it said "Can't Wait to Meet You Daniel". Here is a picture:

It was great night with lots of much needed hugs, prayers and support. I love my CRASH family volunteers and students. The best part of the night, 2 students got baptised and at least 2 more are talking to their parents about it! I love the way God works. Keep praying tonight is the night we are finally parents to this sweet baby boy. God is good, he can make it happen.

# 6 tomorrow

2010-02-17T11:00:00.002-05:00

No letter today so we did not pass court. There are power outages in Ethiopa which could have been the cause. The judge did say to come back again tomorrow. So once again, one more day. Please pray that we pass tomorrow and can officially call him ours! Also please pray for paitence as mine are starting to wear thin. I know God has a plan and He knows what he is doing. Good things come to those who wait, but the waiting is getting old...

Tomorrow will be our day...

Didn't Pass - #5 tomorrow

2010-02-16T13:53:00.002-05:00

We just heard from Anna. We didn't pass today. She said of all the calls she had to make today, she did not want to call and tell me we had to wait one more day! It is not bad though, the judge went through all our paperwork. The only thing missing is the letter of recommendation from MOW@ (ministry of womens affairs). The judge agreed to hear our case again tomorrow. We need this letter to be signed, sealed and delivered to the courts before then. Please pray, we will go to court again tonight while we sleep (while everyone else sleeps). One more day, it is just one more day. God will not give us more than we can handle. This is what I keep telling myself. I will be praying, pleading and begging God tonight. Please God let us hear those words, "you pass" tomorrow.

Dear Daniel

2010-02-16T00:45:00.003-05:00

I have thought about writing a letter to you but until now did not know what to write. It is about 1:00 in the morning and I am unable to sleep. You see the courts are probably just opening in Ethiopia and our case is in line for the judge today. I am praying in about 9-10 hours we will get the phone call we have dreamed about for the past 8 months, "you passed court". This is the point where we can share with the world what we already know in our hearts. Introducing our baby boy. There are so many people that have prayed for you and been on this journey to you with us. We have dreamed about a family for awhile now. On June 11th 2009 I knew our journey was on the right path. You see that is the day we first saw you. We loved you from first sight. A little 3 month old baby boy that we only met in pictures and on paper. I did not know that my heart was capable of such love for someone we had not held or met. For the next 8 months we watched you grow up in pictures, crawling, standing, getting teeth, etc. With every step we loved you more and more. With every delay our hearts ached but we knew you were in good hands. God was watching you. Now in just a few short hours it could be official, you will be our son. I could not have asked God for a more precious baby boy and I am so thankful that he brought you, our smiling sunshine, into our lives. I am living for the day when we get to stand at the bottom of those steps in Ethiopia and hear our name called out and we get to see you for the first time. I can only imagine how my heart is going to burst with joy. We will be together soon! Until then we will continue to watch you grow in your pictures and pray that it will be only a short time until you get to come home! We will be a family soon. We love you.

Tonight is the Night!

2010-02-15T11:44:00.002-05:00

Tonight is the night! While we sleep an Ethiopian judge will hear our adoption case for Daniel. Please pray with us that he says "you pass" and we can officially introduce Daniel as a Heddleson. I can't believe the nervousness I am feeling this morning knowing that tomorrow our whole world could change with one phone call. I know this is coming eventually but it seems surreal now that it is here. Our 4th court date and the paperwork is completed and is actually going before the judge. I don't think I am going to get much sleep tonight. I have a feeling tonight will be a sleepless night. We spent the weekend preparing for him to come home again, washing clothes, putting them away, putting the ones that won't fit anymore in a bin and arranging things that have just been thrown in his room. I can't wait to look in that crib and see that precious baby sleeping. If I am this nervous today what is tomorrow going to be like until we get the call?

My soul, wait silently for God alone, for my expectation comes from Him.
- Psalm 62:5

Tonight is the night!!!!!!!!! Please God let tonight be the night.

3 Days

2010-02-12T08:41:00.002-05:00

I can't believe our court date is only 3 days and 15 hours away! I am praying, begging and pleading with God to let this be the day we officially become parents to the precious baby boy we have been staring at for the last 8 months. As I was laying in bed last night at 1:00 in the morning and not able to sleep the thought hit me, our whole world could possibly be changed in less than 2 months. We will fly 1/2 way around the world to a foreign country and will be given a 10 month old baby boy and sent on our way. Minor panic started to set in, not only for the 17 hour plane ride (not a fan) but also for the 4 days in a hotel with a baby trying to bond. I know this is just Satans way of taking the joy out of our journey and I know everything will be great when we get there but for that brief moment I thought to myself "am I ready for this". Truth is I am beyond ready and was just letting my imagination get the best of me (or better yet Satan). I have been preparing for this moment for almost 2 years now with the adoption and about 4 years now planning for our family. As I am writing this post I am thinking what a journey we have been on! I am so thankful I have God on my side because I would have never made it through this journey and grown as much as I have in the last 2 years without him. Please pray with us that God blesses us with the gift of our son officially on the 16th. Our case will go before a judge in Ethiopia on Monday night the 15th while we sleep (while you sleep, I don't think I will be sleeping much). This is all in His hands and He will take care of us. I have a calendar on my desk at work by Stormie Omartian that has prayers and scriptures every month. The prayer for February is so appropriate for what we are going through:

"Lord, I put my hope in You. I submit my life to You. Help me to pray about everything and trust in You in every part of my life."

The scripture I have been reading multiple times a day:

"My soul, wait silently for God alone, for my expectation comes from Him." - Psalm 62:5

This is what I will do wait for God to bring my family together. Tuesday is our day! Please God let Tuesday be our day!

Court Date!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2010-01-29T16:37:00.002-05:00

I received a call today from Anna just before 11:30. I braced myself for more delay news. She said she had some good news for us. Our paperwork is finished and was submitted for a court date. Our new court date is February 16th. I was so not expecting this today. God is amazing!!!!! In 2 weeks he could be ours and we can upload our introduction video so all of you can see our sweet, sweet baby boy! Be warned it is sort of long since we will have been waiting 8 long months! God is doing some amazing things in our lives right now that I can't wait to share. This was just the icing on the cake right now! We are so close to holding our baby boy! Please continue to pray with us that we pass on February 16th and our wait is over.

Yeah God!!!! I am so glad He is so amazing and loves me like He does. With God all things are possible! God has been with us every step of the way, holding us close to his heart. He will not forsake us now, He can bring Daniel home!

January Update

2010-01-27T21:47:00.002-05:00

We received our January Update today. Our little man is getting so big! He is standing and pulling himself up on stuff. He looks so big and I just want to hold him and squeeze him. Here is what we know:

* 21 pounds (up 2 pounds from last month)
* He eats pasta, fruits and vegetables
* He is crawling and pulling himself up on things
* He likes rattles, is active and playful
* He is starting to hold his bottle by himself

All these updates are so exciting that he is doing well and doing these things but breaks my heart that we are missing them. God will move these mountains, please God move the mountains soon! So ready for our baby to get home!

More care packages are being sent and more pictures being taken by great families who are willing to take a little time to love on our boy while they are there uniting with their own children. Thanks friends!

Homestudy Update

2010-01-25T12:10:00.003-05:00

We just finished our visit with the social worker to update our homestudy. Our paperwork for USCIS was set to expire Valentines Day. Hopefully this will be our last update before we get to bring Daniel home.

Yesterday at church the sermon was on waiting. That was definintely a sermon I was glad I did not miss. While we are waiting we will continue to serve and praise God. He has this all planned out, we just have to be willing to accept his plan.

Melkam Gena

2010-01-07T12:36:00.003-05:00

Melkam Gena! Merry Ethiopian Christmas. Today is Christmas in Ethiopia (they are on a different calendar). As I am putting away all the decorations from Christmas, the gifts are all in their new homes and I am slowly reclaiming my house back - our baby boy is celebrating Christmas today. The holidays came and went so fast this year in a bustle of food, family, friends and gifts. We thought this would be the year we got to celebrate with a child of our own. God obviously wasn't ready for that to happen. Daniel did get plenty of presents though. They are all under the tree that is still up and the gifts are all still wrapped. The tree will remain up until we finally get to bring him home. Then we will celebrate Christmas all over again. Who doesn't like a Christmas party!

December Update

2009-12-23T14:22:00.002-05:00

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

2009-12-18T12:48:00.002-05:00

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

2009-12-15T15:50:00.002-05:00

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

2009-11-26T10:08:00.002-05:00

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!