Safe and Sound

Just wanted to let you know that "paper baby" made it to our agency today. Thanks for your prayers!

Our dossier will be couriered next week for authentication. Our family coordinator said that it usually takes the embassy a couple of days to process and then she will let us know when it's on it's way to Ethiopia.

As soon as I have more news, I'll let you know! :) Please continue to pray for us as we wait.

The Paper Baby

I have dreamed of this day for 7 months. The day I could tell you that we mailed off our entire dossier, otherwise known as the paper baby, to our adoption agency. Here's how it went down:

These are the contents of our dossier spread out on the bed. This is minus the homestudy and another form, which are already at the agency:

This is the paper baby asleep in the crib:

This is the paper baby riding to the post office. I know, no car seat, but that would be completely ridiculous. ;)

This is me and the paper baby outside of the post office.

It should be in Virginia on Wednesday. Please pray that the paper baby has a safe trip so our real babies can come home soon!

Tell of His glory...

....among the nations, His wonderful deeds among all the peoples. For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; He also is to be feared above all gods. 1 Chronicles 16:24-25

It came, it came, praise be to God, that "one last piece of paper" came today!

Here she is........

Here's how it went down: We finally got an email from the consulate. They must have grown weary of our emails greeting them each morning. The lady emailed us a copy of the form and said that the hard copy would be sent to our German address, which is much faster.

I forwarded that email with the attachment to our family coordinator at the adoption agency to let her know we were one step closer. She was excited for us and said that actually we could print off the emailed I171-H and have that notarized. (Actually we will keep the original and take it to Ethiopia with us. The notarized document will be a copy of the original.) I got so excited and screamed and leaped around so much that Sophie tucked her tail and jumped into Marshall's lap. Poor thing.

So, Lord willing, we will have that copy notarized in the morning and mail the dossier off to the agency on Monday.

Thank you for your prayers. Please don't stop! The Lord hears our prayers and He always loves to hear from us.

My head hurts from all of the excitement....

3 months

Three months of waiting for that "one more piece of paper." You've all heard us say that over and over again.

I've emailed the Consulate multiple times to try to figure out where the I171-H is. They said it was mailed on 6 August. That was 3 weeks ago today. Now I can't get anyone to respond to my e-mails. Frustrating.

If you sense a little discouragement in my voice, you're right. But I'm holding on and trusting that this is all part of God's plan for us and our boys.

Hopefully, soon I'll be able to tell you that that "one more piece of paper" came in the mail and we are mailing out our dossier. Please continue to pray for us!

The Quilt

Well, I did it! I made my very first certifiable quilt! My mother-in-law gave me a kit for a rail fence baby quilt. She walked me through the steps while they were here. I think I'm going to attempt a bigger one for big brother's bed. Here she is.....

V-Ball, Birthday and Braids!

I played hours of volleyball with these girls at the Kitchne Center, the after school program. They really warmed up the second day we were there.

I turned the big 3-0 while in Awassa. What a way to turn 30! Thanks ya'll for making it so special!

I got my hair braided too. My hair is so fine, it didn't last long, but these sweet girls did a great job. They were excited about the yellow hair! I received a letter from Helen, the girl in the flowered shirt. I can't wait to write her back.

In the mail....

Update: Got an email this morning that the I171-H is in the mail.
Let's pray it in, ya'll!

Edited to add: Email from the consulate this morning said that the document was mailed on Monday.

The Proof is in the Pictures!

Remember how I asked you to pray especially for me on the day during the missions trip that we were riding a donkey/small horse/pony/whatever to the top of a mountain in Lalibella?

Well, your prayers were answered, as well as mine, and I did it! And survived!

Here is some proof: the smile in the first picture was for the sake of the camera....never let 'em see you sweat!
that's me in the middle with my PWOC backpack on.....representin' in Ethiopia! :) A literal mountain top experience! We were standing in a cloud. Thank you Lord!

Please pray!

We heard last week that our I171-H (last document) should be on its way. This will complete our dossier. Our family coordinator is in Ethiopia for 2 weeks, so we should wait until she is almost back in the office to mail it off so it doesn't get lost in the shuffle while she's away.

Takes some pressure off.

We do need your prayers. We should know more when our family coordinator gets back, but as of now our agency has changed a rule that could affect our request for 2 unrelated children. Ultimately God is in control and we will adopt the boys He wants us to adopt. There is such comfort in that. Please pray for clear guidance in decisions being made, that they will benefit the children of Ethiopia....that is most important.

I am praying without ceasing the my desires would be God's desires and I know the Lord is preparing our hearts and our children's hearts for our union as a forever family.

Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. 1 Thes 5:16-18

I typing this verse, I just realized that I should, because it's God's will for me, be giving thanks in the turmoil. Forgive me Lord! I do give thanks! Which brings me to Psalm 94:11: When my anxious thought multiply within me, Your consolations delight my soul.

And Isaiah 55:8, "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways," declares the Lord. "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts.

All this to say, God is in control and I just want to be closer to Him with each step.

Who knew He would speak to me through a blogger post. We serve a creative God!!!

I hope this speaks to you too. Have a great day and open that Bible....it will take you places. :)