This is a picture of our dossier envelopes and checks getting ready to be sent to DC.

The "OFFICIAL, NOTARIZED, AUTHENTICATED, ONE-OF-A-KIND" set of papers have been dropped off at PostNet, in the capable hands of Matt. They will be delivered Monday to Washington DC where a courier will pick them up and take them to the Ethiopian Embassy and the US State Dept. where they will be authenticated again. From there Carol The Courier will overnight them to our agency in NC.

Please be praying that everything is in the correct order (I checked it a million times) and that it does not get lost (Matt says that never happens).

It was so strange handing that over to Matt to send for us - it is so strange that now NOTHING is up to us. Before, WE had to get something signed, or order a certified copy of something else. Now, THEY must do the rest...

So now we wait. The ESTIMATED timeline below lets you know what is next.
Monday, 1/14 Papers authenticated
Tuesday, 1/15 Papers sent to NC where they will be checked for completion (again) and sent to Ethiopia for translation.

2-3 weeks later they will be sent to the court so that the Ministry of Womens Affairs can review our file and set a court date.

2 weeks later we anticipate a court date. This is when their mother or some other relative must make the 8 hour drive to Addis to relinquish the parents rights and allow the kids to be adopted. Can you imagine that drive home????????? After a successful court date, the kids will be issued new birth certificates with our last names.

4-6 weeks later we will travel to get the children. We will probably get 2-3 weeks notice before we need to be in Africa.

We will stay in Ethiopia for 5-7 days, during that time we will meet with Embassy officials to finalize our adoption. After that, the kids will be issued passports and visas so that we can bring them to their new home.

We can hardly believe that 4 months ago, we were just going along, minding our own business - and now here we are, getting ready to bring 3 children into our world. Life is crazy... and I like it!

Just A Little

HERE IS SOMETHING TO PONDER....I read this on the very entertaining and thought-provoking blog site of a friend of a friend. It is definitely helpful when we - as parents - are struggling with that age old dilemma of having society chip away at our best intentions of raising healthy, moral children.

The story is from a Drive Time Devotion cd.

The mother on the cd was saying her children were bugging her to see the "biggest movie of the year," the one EVERY OTHER child had permission to see. EVERYONE was seeing it, they would be so OUT OF IT if they did not see it. They told the mother that the overwhelming message of the movie was good, although there were some not so good parts, but they would just overlook those things.





After checking out the ratings and reviews, the parents decided this was not something they wanted their children viewing. Instead of telling them this, the mother decided to TEACH the following lesson.





This is what she did....That night at dinner, she said they would have the most wonderful dessert, a dessert that EVERYONE would LOVE! The kids ate eagerly and upon finishing, their mother brought out this magnificent cake. It had pretty frosting and decorations and she told the children how she used only the best and most expensive ingredients. European chocolate, real cream frosting, organic eggs and flour. It had taken lots and lots of money and time to make this cake, so it had to be good. She told all the neighbors about it and they were jealous that they could not have a bite.By the time the mom passed out the forks, the children were salivating....





Just as they were about to take a bite, she asked them to wait a moment..."Oh, one more thing I need to tell you," she said. "I put just a little doggie poop in the cake, but I am sure you won't notice since everything else I used is so delicious and good!" She continued, " I didn't mix it in too much so there should just be a chunk here and there. Surely, it cannot distract from the deliciousness of the entire cake!" As the forks dropped with resounding clinks, her children realized the lesson without having to even talk about the ramifications of seeing that popular movie."





Next time you think it's okay to compromise..."JUST A LITTLE"...either for your kids OR YOURSELF!

M Loves Socks

We just got new pictures from Heidi and Kirk and they were telling us how much the kids liked their packages... especially M! We sent her a cute pair of socks and the nannies started laughing because they know how much she loves them. I know it is a silly thing, but I am giddy over the fact that I know something new about my daughter. I am already planning on going sock shopping in the very near future! :)

I wish I could post all of the pictures, we have loved looking at them. The Ethiopian government asks that we not post the pictures until they are oficially ours... so we will wait. For now, just know that the kids are adorable and we can't wait to get them home!

Wherever you are, be all there.

Live to the hilt of every situation you believe to be the will of God.

~Jim Elliot

I'm only one. But still, I am one.

I cannot do everything, but still, I can do something.

And because I cannot do everything,

I will not refuse to do the something that I can do. ~Edward Hale

I know God won't give me anything I can't handle.

I just wish He didn't trust me so much.

~Mother Theresa

I took the road less traveled by,

and that has made all the difference.

~Robert Frost

Stop telling God how big your storm is.

Instead, tell your storm how big your God is.

~Unknown

How can there be too many children?

That's like saying there are too many flowers.

~Mother Theresa

Homecoming

Kirk and Heidi just returned with their 3 new kiddos. Their 3 biological kids and 3 adopted kids are all very close in age to our kids too! So watching this video of their Homecoming was very touching! I cried through most of it! I can't believe that we will get to post a video like that within the next 2 or 3 months! WOW! We also got the most beautiful pictures of the kids! It is the strangest feeling to have never met your kids. That when some of the other adopting families think about Adissu, Marta, and Esrael they remember the way they played with the other kids, their laughter, or the way they gave them kisses and hugs. WE remember the way they smile shyly in pictures and Marta's cute hairdo in the latest set of photographs. It is so strange for others to know them... while we just wait.

News

We heard from our case worker today that our dossier is looking good. We somehow missed the fact that we needed 3, not 2, letters of recommendation so Rob and Kimberly graciously agreed to write a letter TONIGHT for us. What good friends we have who are willing, at the drop of the hat, to do this stuff for us! Thanks Jason and Lisa - they wrote us a grant letter a couple of weeks ago at the last minute... We also need a few more family pictures so we are going to go through Grandpa's digital camera card searching for a few pictures. He has more than 400 pictures on his card, so it may take a while... Then we will get everything notarized and faxed to be send back to NC. I am so anxious to hear that it looks great and is on its way!

I just want them here!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

California

We are in California today for a funeral. My uncle and his wife had their first baby, Davis Lee and he died just 8 hours after he was born. He was adorable and this has been such a sad time for everyone.

California has been slammed with the most ferocious storms and we have missed them all. We left home at 9 on Friday and completely missed horrible storms in Washington. Then flew into Sacramento just an hour after they reopened the airport. We randomly switched hotels which was amazing since we got a room at one of the only hotels in town that have power. The best news of all though... we got a MUSTANG for our rental car. Ben is REALLY enjoying driving this around. This trip has been one huge blessing after another... we couldn't believe that our airline tickets and car rental came to $274.50 TOTAL! We have decided that we are going to forever buy tickets just 10 hours before we leave. :)

This has been a wonderful time to reconnect with family and I am thankful for the opportunity - just wish the circumstances were much different. Keep my uncle and aunt in your prayers... this has been a most horrible time for them.

Waiting

I am not good at waiting.

When I was pregnant with Danny and on bed rest - I wasted my time. I watched reruns of Law and Order and played solitair on the computer.

When I was pregnant with Lilly and on bed rest - I wasted my time. I watched rerusn of Seventh Heaven and played free-cell on the computer.

When I was pregnant with Addy and on bed rest - I wasted my time...

Do you see a pattern? I am horrible at waiting, so instead of spending time in God's word and in prayer, I play computer games and watch TV. I want things to happen quickly so I waste my time, I wish away my days.

I am trying to be better this time. As we wait for our 3 newest kiddos, I am praying. For patience, peace, and more patience. I am spending time with the 3 kiddos who are here... we are spending time reading, playing with Addy's "peopos" and competing on the Wii that Danny won. But I still wish away my days. I feel guilty that my kids here have so much while my kids in Ethiopia are thankful for so very little. So I wish for the time when my kiddos will be ours. When we can fly off to Ethiopia to pick them up and bring them home. A time when our family will be complete. A time when I will not be waiting and wishing time away.

So I searched the word peace in the Bible today and these are what I came up with... these I will cling to.

Romans 5:1
Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Proverbs 14:29-31
A patient man has great understanding,

but a quick-tempered man displays folly.
A heart at peace gives life to the body,

but envy rots the bones.
He who oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker,

but whoever is kind to the needy honors God.

2 Peter 1:2-3

To those who through the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ have received a faith as precious as ours:
Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.

Psalm 37:7
Be still in the presence of the Lord,

and wait patiently for him to act.

Dossier

Our dossier is in North Carolina waiting to be checked out by our Case Worker! We are so excited for this step! Please pray for quick work and that we hear about our grant applications soon.

Happy Birthday, Lilly Bean

My sweet Lilly turned 5 yesterday. She moved into being a "big kid" with all the enthusiasm that her body could handle! She is such an amazing little girl! She loves people and has a wonderful compassionate heart! I can't wait to see what God has planned for her!

Lilly also got to move to the "GIRL'S ROOM". It is a bit crowded, but I think they will love it. It has been so much fun to hear Lilly and Addy talking at night as they fall asleep. Addy keeps pointing to the top bunk saying, "Dat for Marta, Marta sleep dere". It is very cute.

Danny is all alone in the BOY'S ROOM and feeling a bit lonely. He is excited to show his brothers all the cool things he has to share with them. These beautiful bunkbeds were made by Grandpa the Great! He has worked for almost a month to make them just right! THEY ARE PERFECT!