Krohn Family COMPASSION 5K

Every 5K is backed by a great cause!  To raise awareness, funds, and to gather support.  Would you consider coming along side of our family?  Would you consider registering for a 5K to help us raise $$ for the last leg of our journey to get our son home??  Would you consider bringing your family out for some fun, food, and fellowship?  Would you like to hear our adoption story and how God's plan is always higher than our own?

We are starting our next adoption fundraiser and it is going to be SO much fun!!  We are going to be having a 5K walk/run/bike ride(etc).  We will be having a BBQ afterward and time to just hang out and visit.  We will be sharing a little bit about what God has done for us over the last year and how He has led us to our son!!  We will also be taking a love offering to gather $$ to take to the orphonages in Ethiopia that are in dire need of supplies.

The event will take place at Still Water Hollow (Thanks Ty and Brianne) and will be on Sunday July 1st!  Registration starts at 4:30 and we will start the race at 5 pm.  In order to have time to get the shirts printed, registrations are due by June 10th!  Please fill out 1 form per participant.  You can click HERE to print the registration form(Thanks Mom for helping me figure out the link)!  You can also find the link to the registration form on my sidebar!  Please mail your registration form and your payment to the address found on the form by June 10th.  If you have any questions you can email me at taushakrohn@yahoo.com.

We are very excited about what God is doing in and through our family.  We hope you will take the evening to come share our journey with us!



Anniversary Destination

My loving husband went to Hawaii with his family a mere 12 days after we met.  I missed him terribly even though we had just met.  Upon his return, we both knew that we had something special - absence makes the heart grow fonder.  When we got married close to a year later, we decided we wanted to go to Hawaii for our 1 year anniversary and start our own family memories.  Well, 6 weeks into our marriage we got pregnant with our Jarod.  So, needless to say we spent our first anniversary with a 7 week old baby instead of on the beach somewhere.  Not quite what we had planned - but such a blessing and MORE than we could have hoped for.

Well, those first few months of our marriage seem like an eternity ago.  Our baby has grown up to be a strapping young man and just turned 9.  This means that we are closing in on our 10 YEAR ANNIVERSARY.  It is hard to believe it has been that long, I'm not that old am I??  Josh and I started talking and planning a little over a year ago that we wanted to go somewhere special for our ten year - just us - no kids - somewhere warm and exotic - - we wanted to plan a trip to Hawaii!!

Well - if you have been following our journey over the last year at all, you know that God had bigger and better plans for us than a trip to Hawaii!!  He has changed our hearts, lives, and outlook on life.  When we submitted our paperwork last year, we were hopeful that maybe we would get to be in Ethiopia picking up our child and bringing her home over our anniversary.

Well - if you know anything about God, our timelines are never what God has in mind.  We waited longer and longer for our referral than we ever thought we would.  We started doubting we would get to see Ethiopia by our anniversary - knowing that being there for our 2nd trip was definately not going to happen.

God's plan is not always our own - BUT - it is always good, and right, and perfectly His.  A month ago we got to look into the face of our son!!!!  According to what other families had been trending, we would wait about a month to hear our court date...then we would go to court about a month later.  We accepted our referral on March 29th - 2 months out to a court date would be May 29th!!!  Well folks, our TEN year anniversary is May 25th!!!!!!

We are right at a month from referral - the time we should be hearing when our court date is....the wait is driving me crazy.  Several families have been held up with paperwork and my humaness wants to worry and fret and make myself sick.  In my heart I know that God has got this and His plan is perfect.  I hate to admit, however, that my humaness often wins out and my mind reels and worries at ALL of the aspects of this whole journey that are out of my control.

We have been praying fervently and on purpose - that God would allow us to spend our 10 year anniversary - not on a beach somewhere - not just us, with no kids - not at some resort relaxing....BUT... we have prayed that God would allow us to spend our anniversary WITH our kids - all FOUR of them...that He would allow us to spend it in the midst of His people - taking donations to those in need - loving on kiddos who've only known grief and loss in their little lives.

God's desire is for us to be more like Him and it is amazing how He can change your desires from this...

To THIS...





Please join us in praying for a memorable anniversary gift - the gift of family, and life, and memories!  Pray that God would grant us a court date around our anniversary so that we can spend it as a family!  Please continue to pray for our son as he has a lot of adjustment ahead of him.  Pray that we would be the family that he needs us to be.  Pray that we will be strong enough to put our humaness aside and trust in God's plan for our family and our lives.

Lists - Packing - DONATIONS!

It has been 3 weeks since we received our referral for our sweet little man!  It seems like forever ago, but just like yesterday.  It seems like the 3 weeks have flown by...but that they can't go fast enough until we hold him in our arms!  Several families ahead of us, waiting for court dates, have hit a few paperwork hiccups and court dates have seemed to slow down.  I am trying to not get my hopes - (according to what families have been trending, we should hear our court date next week - and then go to court around the end of May - but that was before the recent delays).  But then, today, a family that was referred 5 DAYS before us got a court date for MAY 10th!!!!  That is like 3 WEEKS from now!!  So - - - I have started freaking out a little bit!  We literally could wait another month before hearing about our court date - or we literally could be in Ethiopia in a month!!  I am a planner, so I better get to list making and be prepared just in case we travel sooner than later.

We are hoping to take LOTS of donations with us to the orphonages and our agency's transition home.  This is where you come in - where you can help an orphan halfway around the world!!  I haven't collected much because I was waiting until we were closer to leaving.  Well - as I mentioned above - I better get with it!!!  So, you will find the list of needed donations below!!  If you could pick up a few items and get them to us in the next few weeks, we would love the opportunity to carry them to those in need.

Thank you in advance for your generosity and for your willingness to help!

 ⁴⁰ “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’  Matthew 25:40

Current Priority Transition Home Needs

~ Vitamin D drops and Iron drops for babies and children
~ Powder-free gloves for nannies and TH doctor
~ Crocs for nannies
~ Toiletry bags (small) for children’s personal hygiene items (one per child needed)
~ General first aid items

Orphanage and Transitional Home General Donation Needs

~ Iron drops
~ Diaper rash ointment (A+D preferred)
~ Paper towels
~ Children’s clothing (new or slightly used); Boys and Girls; sizes 0-8 years. Clothing needs include day clothes (especially pants), pajamas, underwear, and shoes.
~ Diapers for up to 30 pounds (Preferably CLOTH so they can reuse them)
~ Unscented baby wipes (MUST be UNSCENTED - They won't take anything else)
~ A + D Original Ointment, Diaper Rash and All-Purpose Skincare Formula
~ Hand Sanitizer

$$$ to Purchase Formula in Country (Since it is so heavy to ship, it is more cost efficient to purchase there)

Medications/Medical Donation Needs**

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

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


Gifts Needed for Older Children who are WAITING for a Family

Hard toys (not made of cotton)

Plastic Jewelry

Plastic Hair Bands, barets

Barbies and clothing

Barbies with clothing

Hair bands, plastic jewelry and rings

Chapstic and kid makeup

Girls wallet and purse

jump ropes

Small Bouncing Balls

Cars, bubbles

Plastic toys

Books that make sound, puzzles

cars

T-shirts with superheroes (spiderman!!)

Superhero capes

Bubbles, bouncing balls, card games

hand held games and batteries

Jump ropes

sports equipment 

Smiles, Lizards, and Prayer

We woke up this morning to an email that we have been anxiously waiting for all week!  It was an email from a dear adoptive mama who just got home from Ethiopia yesterday!  The email had new pics of our sweet little man - BE STILL MY HEART!!!  He has got to be the cutest little thing there is!  His smile and his eyes make me melt! It is such an amazing feeling that someone I have chatted with and emailed has spoken to, hugged, and loved on our son for us!!  It makes it all so real!

Also, last night while we slept, another very sweet adoptive mama who had arrived in Ethiopia on Easter Sunday, visited our son and delivered our care package to him!  We packed a cute little draw-string backpack full of some fun boy stuff.  We also included a photo book of our family and our home.  She said that he LOVED the little plastic lizard and the Superhero Sunglasses!  She said he was having fun sharing his gum with the other kids.  She won't be able to email us pictures until she gets back to the US, but she said she got some AWESOME ones - can't wait!!!  It is surreal to think that he has pictures of us, knowing that we are here and waiting for him.

I can't help but spend my days staring into the face of the little boy that God brought into our lives!  I can't wait until I get to hold him in my arms.  Please continue to pray for our paperwork and finalization as we work toward passing court and then on to conquering embassy.  Families have been waiting around a month to hear a court date, which has been around a month later.  BUT - like everything else in adoption - nothing is expected - it is ever changing.  Two families have been notified this week, 6 weeks after their referral, that they need a couple documents in their child's file before they will be given a court date.  The new protocol seems to be that the courts are reviewing files and identifying any additional documentation needed PRIOR to giving a court date - this SHOULD ensure that when you make it to court everyone should pass with flying colors - every "t" should be crossed and every "i" should be dotted.  This could mean extended wait times between referral and court - extended wait time between seeing a sweet face and getting to hold and love on him!! 

PLEASE FAMILY AND FRIENDS - pray that all documents are complete and included in his/our file!  Pray that if there are any missing documents that they are able to gather them in lighting speed!  Can't wait to hold my baby!!!!  Please continue to pray for our finances!  We know and trust that God will provide but it can be overwhelming planning a trip for 5 - halfway around the world!

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:6-7

The Path Ahead...

We have been so very overwhelmed by the love, support, and enthusiasm we have received over the last week.  We are incredibly excited to share with people the amazing plans that God has orchestrated in our family - to Him be ALL the Glory!  I was shocked when I got on here tonight to see that 190 people viewed our referral post!!!!!  God is so good and it makes me smile that one little boy halfway around the world is touching so many lives.

I've had LOTS of people asking where we go from here.  I will do my best to give a rough rundown of the path that lies ahead from here to home with our sweet man.  Keep in mind that we are bound by confidentiality and cannot share his name or face until we pass court - at that time we will shout praises from the rooftops and plaster pictures of his beautiful face from here to Timbuktoo!  In the mean time, if you ask what his name is you will most likely get a pat answer - which is a shame because the story behind his name is one of the most magical pieces of this adoption - sorry you will have to wait a couple months!!

Alright, we have been busily filling out paperwork accepting and authorizing all the official documents that we need to accept our referral.  I was so excited last night when I printed out my last couple documents to submit - then today we got our first travel email with a WHOLE list of documents that we need to complete for our travel side of things!  I will tell you one thing - Adoption is FULL of paperwork and it is NEVER ending!!!!

Now that we have accepted our referral, our agency is in the process of compiling our paperwork and submitting it to the Ethiopian Affairs Committee.  This committee (MOWCYA) will receive our papers and provide us with a court date to appear in country.  The trend right now is roughly a month to find out when our court date will be....and then court dates have been running approximately a month after that.  So - we are hopeful to find out our court date around the end of April and are hoping to meet our sweet little man in Ethiopia the end of May/beginning of June.  Now - with every step along the adoption process - nothing is normal and hitches and glitches are very common.  We understand that at any time trends can lengthen and change, but we are hopeful that we will fall around the 2 month time frame from referral to court date.

We made the decision a few months back to take our bio kids with us on our court trip.  We got their passports and vaccinations over Christmas vacation and they are stoked to go!  If I really stop and think about it, I am overwhelmed with the enormity of it all.  We will be traveling to meet our new son, to a new country, new food, new culture, and we are taking our 3 kiddos with us!!  I wouldn't have it any other way and I KNOW that I won't regret it - but my anal type A organized mind is getting a little stressed already just thinking about the packing!

On our trip, we will appear before MOWCYA and will hopefull "PASS" the first try.  If all of our documentation is accounted for, and his documentations are accounted for, and MOWCYA is NOT behind in their paperwork (fingers crossed), then we should be good to go.  If not - well, let's not think about that!  Once we pass court, little man will be legally ours!!!!!!  We sadly will not be able to stay in country between court and embassy and will have to leave a piece of our family and our hearts behind - for now!

At this time, our agency will begin compiling all of our documentation needed to submit to the US embassy to obtain his VISA to travel home.  This process is taking 5-6 weeks for paperwork(his medicals, passports, birth certificate, etc) to be compiled and submitted to embassy.  It will then most likely take a month or 2 for embassy to verify all of his paperwork, authenticate him as an orphan, which may include a birth relative interview, etc.  Once embassy clears us, we will get the phone call and travel back to Ethiopia to pick up our son FOREVER (Gotcha Day!).

I have been warned by many adoptive mamas that the referral wait is NOTHING compared to the wait once you have a sweet face to look at and long for!  As you can also imagine, the most EXCRUTIATING wait is once you have held you little one and promised to love them forever, and yet have to leave them behind, so very far away!  We are overjoyed with our referral news and are soo incredibly excited for the path ahead of us....BUT....it is NOT going to be easy in any shape of the imagination!  We plead with you all to continue lifting our family up in your prayers - that our hearts would be content, that the process would move quickly, that God will shape us into the family that little man will need us to be, that little man's heart will be comforted and prepared for what is to come.  We have been blown away by your love and support - SO - please continue to walk this path with us - we need your prayers and support more now than ever before!

"I can only wonder what treasure awaits at the top of the path."
- Jonathan Lockwood Huie