More Fun Times in Ethiopia

We had a good day again today.  We spent the morning visiting one of the orphonages that our agency uses for referring kids.  Our son did not come from there, but it was nice to see the kids and love on them for a little bit.  They presented us a traditional coffee ceremony before we left and the coffee was SO good!  Jarod LOVED it!  The nanny introduced us to a little tiny baby who was happily sucking on his bottle.  She told us that the police rescued him from a pack of hyenas that were carrying him away.  My eyes teared up at the thought of it!

We went to lunch and then headed to see little man at the Transition Home.  Our time together is sweet but I can't wait to have him home and in a routine.  There is only so much you can do in the little space that is there and having all the other kids around can be stressful.  If you bring anything to play with it very quickly becomes community property and can get overwhelming at times - for us and for little man!  Mama got some good cuddle time today....he wanted to play with Daddy's camera but was told no because all the other kids were around.  He kept trying and trying to get it out of daddy's pocket but to no avail.  So - he crawled up in Mama's lap with big tears in his eyes!  He almost let mama rock him to sleep, but within a few minutes dried his eyes and went about his play time - him and daddy were good too!  It will take a while for little man to learn his boundaries and for us to break some bad habits of living amongst so many kids who have experienced a lot of life.

We came back to our guest house and rested for a little while (Josh had felt a little off all day today and we think he was just dehydrated).  When it came time to head out for dinner we were all feeling refreshed and ready for our evening of fun.  Our agency took us out to a Traditional Ethiopian experience.  They served us traditional food, with live music and dancing for entertainment.  The food was amazingly good....

The entertainment was amazing....

The dancing and music was SPECTACULAR....they did several different dances from different cultural regions.  We got video of the dance from the region where our little man was from but I couldn't get it uploaded - hopefully will get it posted some other time!


Dinner was truly a once in a lifetime experience and it ended with the dancers pulling Josh up to dance with them - our camera card was full - BUMMER....It was so good and I'm sorry we don't have proof!

TOMORROW is a HUGE day for us in our adoption journey!  We will go stand before an Ethiopian Judge as a family of SIX in hopes of PASSING - passing court entails getting an approval from the judge and receiving a favorable letter from the affairs committee.  From what we hear court doesn't take long but it is CRUCIAL - - if we pass our little man will OFFICIALLY be our SON!!!  They will print a birth certificate with our names listed as his parents and they will gather the proper paperwork to bring him home forever!  Please join us in prayer that we will PASS court TOMORROW - no hangups, no delays, nothing missing!!  Once we pass court we will be able to share his sweet face and the amazing story behind his name!  I am hoping to blog tomorrow with AMAZING news....but will trust God either way!

A Little Bit of Africa

Today was a fun day!  Three more AWAA families showed up yesterday to pick up their kiddos.  Out of the 5 families that are here, we are the only court family.  The rest of the families are on round 2, which has been nice to able to ask advice and get their opinions on things since they have been here before.  We spent the morning at the Transition Home visiting with little man!  We also got to take some donations and take pics for families that are waiting to get their kiddos! 

Little man is beginning to show a little bit more of himself each time we see him.  He is such a ham and LOVES to show off.  When he wants our attention he yells "Dada" and "Mama" which I LOVE!  He is doling out hugs and kisses willingly to all of us, including the kids!  He seemed a little grumpy and tired today, but to be expected from a 5 year old!  We got a chance to talk with the doctor about how little man is doing health wise.  We were pleased to hear that he is doing great and is very healthy.  She is a very sweet lady and it is so nice to know that the kiddos are so well taken care of.

While at the transition home, Leah got a little taste of Africa...



The older girls at the TH are amazingly sweet and are SO good with hair!  They did it in no time too!  Leah did a great job sitting still and gave them big hugs afterward!  She has for sure won over all the girls there!  We hardly see her when we are there - she is off with all the big girls!

After visiting with little man, we went to lunch and then headed to do some shopping!  It was quite the experience.  There were lots of kids selling stuff and begging outside the shops.  Our kids were excited to see all the cool Ethiopian stuff and we came away with some pretty cool reminders of our time in Africa!

After shopping we headed out for dinner.  Josh and I took the kids to a restaurant just a couple blocks from our guest house.  We walked there, along a busy road filled with lot of little shops!  Ethiopia is so incredibly safe and I've never felt fearful walking the streets with the kids.  Tonight was interesting to say the least - it was as if Josh and I were walking with a movie star!  People were pointing and smiling, walking up and saying hello - - - to who you ask....that sweet little red head, in braids, and a traditional Ethiopian dress!!!!  Leah was the star of the show!!!  I guess it isn't every day that people around here see a red headed 5 year old with cornrows walking down the street! 

Once we got to the restaurant there were 2 ladies sitting at a table beside us that came over and asked Leah her name and introduced themselves to her and told her how cute she was.  When they left, one of them even asked if they could give her a kiss on the cheek.  As we were finishing dinner, our waitress (who had been smiling and talking to Leah all night) grabbed Leah's hand and said "Come".  She took her down the hallway and out of sight.  We trusted her, the people here are so sweet, but we sent Jarod to spy from a distance.  He found her down the hallway in a staff only office with a bunch of the staff around ooing and aahing over her.  They had their phones out taking pics of her hair and her in her dress.  I gave it a few minutes, then went and rescued my red headed princess.  She was glad to see me!! 

Leah has been on cloud nine and she loves the people here just as much as they love her!  She sits by the window everyday when we drive anywhere so she can stick her little red head out the window and say "Selam" and wave to EVERYONE that we drive past.  It doesn't matter to her what types of clothes that they are wearing, what their income is (if any), how old they are, or what color their skin!  She loves them all and enjoys seeing the smiles on their faces as we drive past.  I love the experience that my children are getting on this trip and I know that we are all changing and growing and will take a little bit of Africa back with us!

Burrows, Babboons, and Bliss

Here is our day 3 in Pictures!  We saw lots of countryside and BURROWS on our way out to the Gorge.  We also got to see some BABBOONS!  We only got an hour with little man when we got back but it was sheer BLISS!!!  He was so excited to see us - and no tears today! :)

We can't wait to share our little man's sweet smile with you all!! 

PLEASE continue to pray that we pass court on FRIDAY!! 





More smiles, stickers, and hugs!

Today was a wonderful day!!  We headed out this morning to our agency's transition home to spend time with our little man!  I wasn't sure how he would react today when he saw us - yesterday he was pretty reserved when he first met us!  We pulled in and all the older kids were there again because it is a holiday in Ethiopia.  As we parked I started looking around for him, not sure where he would be coming from.  I got a couple steps from the van and saw a crowd of kids move to the side at end of the complex.  I soon saw why the kids parted down the middle, our son was running as fast as he could toward us.  He had the biggest grin on his face and was giggling!  He ran straight for me and leaped into my arms laughing and giggling!!!!  Be STILL my MAMA heart!!!

He was super sweet and cuddly and we had a wonderful time with him this morning!  More and more of his personality is shining through!  He is very smart and bright and likes to do things for himself.  He got busy playing and ended up having an accident.  We had brought clothes with us for him, so it was wonderful to have Daddy take him in and clean him and for him to know that we are there to provide and care for him!  It was a huge step in attachment!

Leah and little man are beginning to battle for attention!  Leah is the baby and doesn't quite know how to share that role.  Little man for sure likes doing things for attention and soaks up all that he can get.  Mixed with all the emotion that the last couple days has entailed, the sunshine, and exhaustion from playing with kiddos - Leah and Little Man both were pushing each others buttons!  They only had one little spat which ended up with a little pushing - I loved it to see they were acting like Siblings!!  It won't be their last battle, that is for sure!  They were able to make up and go on playing within no time!

Another family showed up this morning to meet their kids for the first time.  We were able to video their meetcha day and take some pics for them.  Another family arrived today to pick up their daughter and take her home - gotcha day!  We went to lunch with them and their new daughter, then headed back to the transition home this afternoon to play with little man.  He was down for his nap so we waited a few minutes for him to come.  We picked right up where we had left off and had a lot of fun spending time just being together as a family.  He is doing better about listening when he is told no.  When he digs in the bag for something, if it is Jarod's or Leah's I say "No, Leah's"...he just smirks and goes back to his toys.  Yesterday that was not the case - everything was free game!

We are making gains everyday to get to know each other as a family.  He is such a joy and a blessing and I know that we have only begun to scratch the surface.  We got a dose of reality this afternoon when we had to leave the guest house for the day.  We said goodbye just as we had done yesterday and earlier in the day when we left for lunch!  Little man made his rounds, giving hugs and kisses (which was new today and oh so sweet)!  Josh was the last one in line for the hugs as the kids and I went and climbed into the van with our things.  I looked around after a minute and saw Josh standing outside the gate - he pointed down at something and shrugged his shoulders.  I didn't know what he was doing - the van started to pull out of the gate and as we pulled up even to Josh I saw the problem.  Little man was standing at Josh's side SOBBING!!!  The guide got out and spoke to him and tried to explain that we were coming back tomorrow - but there was no consoling him.  Josh gave him one last hug, told him we loved him and that we would be back.  The nanny took him inside the gate and as we drove off, I looked back and saw tears streaming down his face.  I couldn't handle it and started tearing up - it breaks my heart to know that he feels left....and abandoned....AGAIN!  I dread next week when I cannot tell him we will see you tomorrow!!

The tears from little man were hard to handle but they were OH SO GOOD in terms of attachment.  Many adopted children have difficulty bonding to anyone in particular because they have had so many care givers.  They will go with anyone and everyone and not be real partial.  I am THANKFUL that our son knows and loves us and wants to be with us!!  We are so close to bringing him home- but in the heart of a little boy who has to wait for a Mommy and a Daddy it can feel like an eternity until the time to be with them forever comes!

Please continue to pray for us!!  Pray that our documents are ALL where they need to be so we can pass court on Friday!  Pray that we continue to build a strong relationship with little man this week as we continue to get to know each other.  Pray that we stay healthy while in country.  Pray for our hearts and little man's as we prepare to say goodbye for now - next Tuesday.  Pray for the older children at the transition home - that their hearts would be comforted in the wait and that their families' hearts will be stirred to be willing to open their hearts to an older child.   These kids are AMAZING and have touched my heart more than I ever expected them to.  I asked our guide if we could just add a couple more to our court date on Friday and just take them all home!!

We head to the Gorge tomorrow which is a scenic must see with beautiful canyons and baboons!!  We will be gone most of the morning and then will head over to see little man!!   Can't wait to see him and reassure him that we are still here - for him!  Love this crazy thing we call life these days - adoption is so incredibly rewarding - but so incredibly emotionally draining - highs and lows and everywhere in between!  Blessed to be the one God called for this work - blessed to call little man MY SON!

Arrival and Meetcha Day

Well, 31 hours after leaving our home in Idaho we arrived in the capital city of Addis Ababa to meet our sweet son!  Our flights were thankfully uneventful, which is always a plus when traveling!  The kids did great!  Jarod was pretty stuffed up and started coughing our last leg, but other than that everything went smoothly.

I love how God works and shows up even in the simplicity of life.  Along our journey to Africa, we met some pretty awesome people.  On the way to DC, we met a grandma to 2 beautiful Ethiopian children who had been home for 2 years.  She was so incredibly excited for us and was telling everyone around her that we were headed to Ethiopia to meet our son!  It was so sweet!  In Frankfurt, we got to ride a bus out and board the plane.  On the bus ride out, I met a lady that works at the US Embassy in Addis.  She was excited for us also and wished us the best of luck!  On our last leg from Frankfurt to Addis, we met 2 families that have court the day before us!  They are with a different agency than us but were both adopting older kids.  It was neat to hear their story and share our own.

We made it through getting our Visas, exchanging money, getting our luggage, and through customs MUCH smoother than I ever thought we would!  We got to our guest house, unpacked a little, took showers and went to bed!

I slept great for about 3 hours, at which time my mind and heart started reeling of what today was all about!  We were going to meet our son!  I was going to get to hold him and give him kisses and love on him!  When you get up that early, the morning seems to drag on.  The kids awoke, we had breakfast, and waited around for 10:30 to roll around so we could head off to church.  We had a great time worshipping at a pretty westernized church.  Jarod wasn't feeling well and I was dragging from getting no sleep for the last 3 days.  We stopped at the Drug Store and got some cough medicine for Jarod on our way to lunch!  Food was yummy but we were a pretty sad looking group.  Josh was the only one feeling energized and ready to go.  At one point, all the kids and I had our heads laid down on the table resting!  Jet lag is no fun - especially when you are gearing up for the most exciting moment that you have been waiting over a year for.  We ordered WAY to much food - Josh was the only one who really ate anything!  We ordered some soda for the caffeine and sugar and hoped it would energize us enough for what was to come!

We drove a short distance across town to a small alley with the famous "America World" sign and gate out front.  I knew this was it  - we were going to meet him, hug him, love on him!!  We drove in and there were lots of older kids all over!  They usually aren't at the baby transition home - where families meet up and spend time with their kiddos - but on Sundays they bring the older kids over for a few hours.  We could hear the kids buzzing - they were saying his name.  They all knew why we were there and who we were there for.  There aren't any other families from our agency in country so our awesome guide and driver took over the cameras and we took our positions....

Our guide came back a minute later and said we had taken so long at church and lunch and so they had walked our little man back to the other transition home.  It breaks my heart to think that he was all ready to meet us, only to come and wait and wait, then leave without us ever arriving!  I bet his heart was crushed!  They said it would just be a minute and instead of them coming out of the house and meeting us on the porch, our son came through the America World gates!

He came in the door hesitantly with his nanny.  He slowly walked over to us and let us each give him hugs.  He leaned into his daddy and just stood there a little stunned!  This is a huge moment for a little guy to handle!  We took our first family pic together and then busted out the backpack with all the goodies!  He was excited to look through everything - and I mean EVERYTHING - he grabbed and looked through every pocket of the backpack, the camera bag, and my purse!

He kicked the soccer ball around for a little while, but he was pretty unsure of all that was going on.  The older kids were all there which was pretty overwhelming for him I think.  He was pretty reserved.   He sat down and got out the activity pack that Grandma Bobbi packed him and quickly went from one thing to the next.  He told me the color of the crayon he was using - only sometimes - he is NOT one to play the repeat game or answer if he doesn't want to - he definately has a stubborn and defiant side to him - he should fit in well with the family!

Stickers were a HUGE hit!!  I can't wait to show pics - - he took them off and put them all over his face!!!  I mean all over - cheeks, hands, forehead, nose, eyes, chin, ears - then he started on each of us.  He called a couple of friends over and passed some stickers out to them also.  He LOVED his soccer ball, but didn't necessarily want to play soccer.  He did NOT, however, want anyone else to play soccer with his ball either!  He sat on it most of the time.  At one point, he got up and started dribbling the ball and then did a figure 8 between his legs - - - OH MY!!!!!!  SO excited for my little sport star!

The older kids left after a while and we were able to focus on our little man.  He did much better playing and responding to us when it was just us!  Before he was just fluttering from one thing to another, one person to another, and didn't really know what to focus his mind on!

He is beyond sweet and his smile is even MORE adorable than the pics we got of him!  He loves his brothers and sister and was even asking for "Noh" (Noah) toward the end of the afternoon!  We get to spend all day with him tomorrow and I'm excited to see him open up even more!  It will be early to bed for us - hoping the jetlag wears off by morning so we can keep up with our kids - ALL 4 of them!!

Once in a Lifetime Moments

Ten years ago tonight Josh and I were finishing up last minute details, we were exhausted, we knew that our lives were changing forever, we spent our night in restless sleep.  It was the night before our wedding and a night you never forget.  You know in your heart and mind that your life is forever changed.  We had known we were in love and going to get married from very early on.  We spent months planning, on the phone making plans, filling out paperwork.  Even though we had given our hearts to each other and knew that we would spend forever together, the day of the wedding made it official!  It was the day that STARTED the next leg of our journey!

Tomorrow we celebrate our 10 year anniversary and we will be starting a whole NEW leg of our journey we call life!  We will be flying halfway around the world with our 3 beutiful blessings, to meet the son that stole our hearts from the very beginning.  We've worked at finishing up last minute details, we are exhausted, and we know that our lives are changing forever!  We have been on this journey to our son for over a year but this next week makes it official!!  We are starting our next leg of our journey as a family of SIX!  We will get to hold our son in our arms and tell him how much we love him!  We will get to see his sweet smile and hear his giggles in person!  We will get to watch our kids (All 4 of them) run and play and laugh and enjoy being kids - together!!

If you ask me if I love my husband as much as I did 10 years ago when we took our vows, I will tell you no. I love him SO much more than I ever knew I could.  There is something about sharing this crazy life with your best friend that allows you to grow in your love and understanding of one another!  I feel so very blessed to not only be in love with my husband after ten years, but to be continuing to fall in love with him in new and deeper ways!

If you would have asked me 10 years ago if we would be here now, I would have told you no.   I am thankful to a God who is Mighty and knows better than us - who refuses to leave us where we are and guides us to what He has planned for us!  I am thankful for this journey that we are embarking on and to be sharing it with the love of my life!  I can't wait to see what the next 10 years hold for us - to be honest - I can't wait to see what the next 10 days have in store - they are both going to be moments of a lifetime!!!

ETHIOPIA, Ready or Not Here We Come!!!

The last few weeks have come and gone.  The days seemed long and the weeks were silent.  I coined them as "Another No News Week".  We FINALLY received our document we have been waiting on from Homeland Security earlier in the week.  That was a HUGE praise and I breathed a sigh of relief knowing it was here and on its way to represent our family in Ethiopia!

We resigned ourselves to the fact that we would not be in Ethiopia for our anniversary(May25th), sometime last week!  The trends have been ranging around 3 weeks out from hearing your court date, so we calculated out and realized we would be sitting here in Idaho, trying to enjoy the celebration of 10 amazing years.  We booked a hotel room for a couple of nights and decided we would take a couple of days to refresh, recover, and reconnect!

Today marks SEVEN weeks since we officially signed our referral for our sweet son!  We have received LOTS of amazing pictures of his sweet face and many families have told us how sweet and joyful he is!  I've tried going on with my daily life, tried to not ache to hold him, tried to put on a smile and put the wait out of my mind!  If you have ever waited for ANYTHING, you know that is so much easier said than done.

Well - today I heard the words we've been waiting for - "We have a Court Date for You!".  I was ecstatic and a little teary eyed as I took the call.  I was waiting to hear a date for mid June.  When she told me our court date was on JUNE 1st!!!!  I felt excited, overwhelmed, teary, AHHHH!!!!  That is in 15 DAYS!!!!!  Are you kidding?????

I spent the day on the phone and email with travel agents trying to book flights!!  Memorial Day weekend made it a little tricky to find flights!  Thankfully we are traveling in May, before the flights take a price hike for the Summer season June 1st.  We were planning on leaving the end of Memorial day weekend, spending a week in country and then traveling home.  Because of the holiday, however, it was MUCH cheaper to leave a little earlier....

SO.....we fly out NEXT Friday (In 8 DAYS!!!!).....and that date is none other than MAY 25th!!!!  Yes, that is right - our TEN YEAR ANNIVERSARY!!!!  So, although we don't get to be in Ethiopia over our anniversary like we had hoped....we get to be heading to meet our son, with our 3 little blessings by our side.

God is so good and His plan is always PERFECT!!!  Please pray for us as we present ourselves before the Ethiopian government to claim our son as our own!  Our paperwork we were waiting on still needs to make it to Ethiopia and in our file in time for court.  There are always delays and unknowns in a 3rd world country court system - so PLEASE continue to pray for us!!

Please pray for safe travels and for us ALL to stay healthy!  Pray for our son's heart as he meets his new family!  Pray that God gives him peace and comfort and prepares him for the changes to come.  Pray for our children traveling with us - that God would reveal His heart to them as they witness the people and the culture where their brother lives.  Pray for our son's birth mom as she travels to Addis and appears before the courts next week(May 22nd).  Pray for her safe travels and that God would give her peace and comfort!

Pray for us over the next 8 days as we prepare to head out of the country with 3 kids!  The kids and I have never traveled out of the country and the kids have never even been on an airplane - it is going to be quite the experience.  In the next 8 days we have lots to get packed and prepared....we also have....6 baseball games, 4 days of basketball camp, kindergarten screening, training for work, report cards to finish, a Beth Moore conference, graduation party, and it is the last week of school for the kids and me!

We've got lots to do - and the time will fly by!!!!  Before we know it - we'll be with our SON!!!!!!  Feeling so blessed!

While I'm Waiting

Many people have asked how the wait is going - I don't ever know what to say!  It is getting harder and harder, each step, each stage, the emotions are deeper and the wait seems like a wound that is more open.  Your heart is more invested and more vulnerable.  The process is more and more out of your hands (like it was ever in our hands to begin with - ha!).

This past 6 weeks as we wait for our clearance from the US government and also wait for our court date - I like to tell myself that I am fine, which for the first month(maybe) I was pretty good.  These last 2 weeks however, I do all that I can not to cry at the thought of my son.  I don't do a very good job of holding back the tears most days.

My heart hurts, but I know that many have and are going through this process and have had to endure SO much more than we are.  I think of the mama who got their referral over a year ago and still do not have a court date due to orphonage closures.  I think of the mama who was told last week that she was going to get a court date, and then didn't.  I think of the mama who went to court last July for her sweet little baby, only to wait another 6 months to bring their almost toddler boy home.

I am blessed to have an amazing family and beautiful children by my side.  I have not done a good job of living in the blessings that I am in the midst of - I want so badly to be THERE but I am HERE - and I have to be thankful for that!  I have to embrace my children, that are here, and love them, and appreciate them, and not take this time with them for granted - wishing away the time until we get to meet our son!

I saw this video on a friends facebook post today and it is so very close to my heart!  I pray that God would empty my heart and my life of MY desires, to fill me back up with HIS.  I pray that God would enable me to praise Him, even amidst the wait and the unknown!  No matter what - I will PRAISE YOU, LORD!

(Don't forget to scroll to the bottom and stop the music to watch the video!)



Double Rainbow Kinda Day

As I was driving to school today, I told my mom it was feeling like a DOUBLE RAINBOW kinda day!!  We are waiting on 2 VERY important things with our adoption - 1) We are waiting for our updated form to come back from Homeland Security that MUST be at court for us to pass AND 2) The phone call that will tell us when our court date will be!  Wouldn't it be GREAT if they both came today - hence the DOUBLE rainbow kinda day!!

Well, when we get a court date I anticipate getting a phone call fairly early in the morning.  Since courts in Ethiopia are open while we sleep, notification of new court dates would be ready and waiting when our AWAA staff here in the states arrived at work.  I also have a very gracious and sweet mail lady who said she would call us when our precious document we are waiting for comes in - the mail comes in around 10am.  So, each day this week my heart is in anticipation for possibilities for the first couple hours of my day.  As the morning wears on, I resign to the fact that no news will come today!

This morning, as I was anticipating a DOUBLE RAINBOW (Double Blessing) kinda day, the sinking of my heart was no different that it has been each day this week when the window of opportunity passes by with still no news.  I plugged into my day and went on with all the busyness that makes up my life.

Then this evening God showed up and warmed my heart!!  While driving in pouring down rain, I looked into the sky and saw.....yep, you guessed it...a DOUBLE RAINBOW!  It was not only a double rainbow, but it was 2 FULL rainbows.  Not a portion of the arc, or a faint end sticking out behind a cloud....it was 2 FULL arcs stretching the expanse of the sky before me.

My mind immediately flashed to my comment this morning.  God gave me my double rainbow, but not at all how I thought it would look.  Isn't that how it usually goes?  As I looked at the glory of God before me, tears filled my eyes as He spoke to my heart!  A rainbow is a representation of a promise that God gave to His people.  A promise to never again abandon them, to never again turn his back on them, to never again destroy the earth in its entirety.

The Bible is full of promises!  I was reminded today that God's promises are TRUE, that God is FAITHFUL, that God is GOOD.  He also reminded me yet again that it doesn't always look like we think it will, but always how God knows is best for us!!  I pray that God continues to mold me and shape me into His little girl who loves Him, trusts Him, and believes Him when He promises something - - even if it doesn't fit my timeline or look like I think it should!

So - I am thankful for my Double Rainbow kinda day!!  I ache to hear news of when I get to hold my son and have the security that our documents are where they need to be....but until then....I will TRUST, I will BELIEVE....I will put my FAITH in the ONE who loves us enough to give us WHAT we NEED when we need it...because HE knows BEST!