We are so grateful for having such wonderful friends and family members in our lives! The flood of loving phone calls, emails, facebook messages, and blog comments have made this awesome experience even more unforgettable. Thanks to everyone (especially to those of you who started screaming when you found out)!
Our paperwork was submitted to Ethiopian courts yesterday, so our next stage of waiting has officially begun! In 4 to 8 weeks we should have an assigned court date. We are praying for a court date before the court closure.
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Sunday, May 22, 2011
The Post You've Been Waiting For!
This week held even bigger surprises than the ones we talked about in our last post!
On Thursday afternoon, May 19th, (a day now forever burned into my memories) I got a call at school from our adoption agency that started something like this, "Sorry to be calling you at work, but I just wanted to make sure I got a hold of you..." The rest of the conversation was a blur. I remember thinking, "what? can this really be our referrals? is there any other reason AAI would be calling me at work? oops, I need to be listening!" The conversation lasted about 40 minutes, which has been yet another patience building exercise, because the entire time my only desire was to hang up, call Jon, and scream hysterically into the phone.
In two emails and about 20 attachments we have been getting to know our two sons. Asnake (meaning he outshone, outclassed, overshadowed, or became better than others) is a beautiful 9 month old boy who we having seen laying on Strawberry Shortcake sheets with big, alert eyes. His hands are out stretched toward the camera as if inviting us to reach down and begin playing with him. Soon, baby, soon!
The second email highlighted our older son, Eskinder (meaning defender of mankind) an irresistible 2 1/2 year old. In my favorite picture of him, Eskinder is clutching his name to his chest with a solemn and intense look on his face as if to say, "This is me! Don't forget me! I am Eskinder!". We won't. I also love zooming in on the bottom of his picture to look at his little toes in his yellow flip-flops.
The big question everyone asks is, what next? The answer is more waiting! (I bet you already knew that, didn't you?) We will wait 4 to 8 weeks to be assigned a court date that could be 1-3 months out from that point. Courts also close from sometime in August until late September or October. We may be able to complete the first trip before courts close (we are praying for a date before the closure), but it may be more likely that we would make our first trip after they re-open.
We are praising God about these boys, and have had a wonderful weekend calling friends and family with the good news. We are learning slowly that we need to stop making predictions and plans and let God work His story in His time. He is faithful.
On Thursday afternoon, May 19th, (a day now forever burned into my memories) I got a call at school from our adoption agency that started something like this, "Sorry to be calling you at work, but I just wanted to make sure I got a hold of you..." The rest of the conversation was a blur. I remember thinking, "what? can this really be our referrals? is there any other reason AAI would be calling me at work? oops, I need to be listening!" The conversation lasted about 40 minutes, which has been yet another patience building exercise, because the entire time my only desire was to hang up, call Jon, and scream hysterically into the phone.
In two emails and about 20 attachments we have been getting to know our two sons. Asnake (meaning he outshone, outclassed, overshadowed, or became better than others) is a beautiful 9 month old boy who we having seen laying on Strawberry Shortcake sheets with big, alert eyes. His hands are out stretched toward the camera as if inviting us to reach down and begin playing with him. Soon, baby, soon!
The second email highlighted our older son, Eskinder (meaning defender of mankind) an irresistible 2 1/2 year old. In my favorite picture of him, Eskinder is clutching his name to his chest with a solemn and intense look on his face as if to say, "This is me! Don't forget me! I am Eskinder!". We won't. I also love zooming in on the bottom of his picture to look at his little toes in his yellow flip-flops.
The big question everyone asks is, what next? The answer is more waiting! (I bet you already knew that, didn't you?) We will wait 4 to 8 weeks to be assigned a court date that could be 1-3 months out from that point. Courts also close from sometime in August until late September or October. We may be able to complete the first trip before courts close (we are praying for a date before the closure), but it may be more likely that we would make our first trip after they re-open.
We are praising God about these boys, and have had a wonderful weekend calling friends and family with the good news. We are learning slowly that we need to stop making predictions and plans and let God work His story in His time. He is faithful.
Monday, May 9, 2011
Surprise!
Recent phone conversation from someone we hadn't talked to in 8 years, "How would you feel if we sent you $5,000?"
From the fifth grade teacher at my school, "Do you care if I engage my students in a service project to raise money for adoption?"
God, you are cool.
From the fifth grade teacher at my school, "Do you care if I engage my students in a service project to raise money for adoption?"
God, you are cool.
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Week In Review
Oh, “the list”. If you are an adoptive parent, you may be able to relate to the obsessive quality it takes on in your life. Our wonderful adoption agency puts up monthly stats for AAI families to see regarding referrals, court dates, and the list of requests from waiting families. They are awesome about relaying facts only, and not getting swept away in speculation. We are also known to read any Ethiopian adoption blog we can find, especially families with AAI.
I experienced a major roller coaster of emotions last week, when a friend’s (I have actually never met her, but anyone on this journey is considered as much in my mind) blog stated that 3 referrals had been given. Needless to say I let my imagination run wild, thinking we were now number five. My heart soared as I thought about how soon it could be. My level-headed husband merely kissed me good night and said he wasn’t getting his hopes up until we heard from AAI. We did find out the next day that we indeed had moved up (yay!), but 2 of the 3 referrals were for families “behind” us on the list. Many of the families ahead of us on the list desire girls, or two kids, and these families behind us received infant boys. If families intend on adopting 2 kids, the Ethiopian government states that they must be 9 months apart, unless twins, and these little guys were not. My brain could process the reasons why those boys were not intended for us, and I knew that God had placed those babes for a reason, but my heart was broken. I was truly surprised by the intensity of my emotions, which of course, only made me more emotional. I found it hard to rejoice that 2 orphans were receiving families, when I wanted so badly for them to call our house home.
The next day I picked up a book by Jeff Manion called “The Land Between: Finding God in Difficult Transitions”. I had wanted to read this book for almost a year, but I believe God was waiting to place it into my hands until now. It’s a great book that spoke to me about calling out to God in honest ways during difficult situations. I really felt like God was soothing me through the words of the author and reassuring me that He continues to work out all things for good. I really need to be keeping a better prayer journal, because I have been truly amazed to see God’s hand time and time again in our adoption. He was able to get my heart and brain back on the same page.
We are now officially number 6 on the list, because along with the 3 referrals last week, one also happened yesterday. We are thankful for referrals, babies getting families, and God’s help in the easy and the hard.
I experienced a major roller coaster of emotions last week, when a friend’s (I have actually never met her, but anyone on this journey is considered as much in my mind) blog stated that 3 referrals had been given. Needless to say I let my imagination run wild, thinking we were now number five. My heart soared as I thought about how soon it could be. My level-headed husband merely kissed me good night and said he wasn’t getting his hopes up until we heard from AAI. We did find out the next day that we indeed had moved up (yay!), but 2 of the 3 referrals were for families “behind” us on the list. Many of the families ahead of us on the list desire girls, or two kids, and these families behind us received infant boys. If families intend on adopting 2 kids, the Ethiopian government states that they must be 9 months apart, unless twins, and these little guys were not. My brain could process the reasons why those boys were not intended for us, and I knew that God had placed those babes for a reason, but my heart was broken. I was truly surprised by the intensity of my emotions, which of course, only made me more emotional. I found it hard to rejoice that 2 orphans were receiving families, when I wanted so badly for them to call our house home.
The next day I picked up a book by Jeff Manion called “The Land Between: Finding God in Difficult Transitions”. I had wanted to read this book for almost a year, but I believe God was waiting to place it into my hands until now. It’s a great book that spoke to me about calling out to God in honest ways during difficult situations. I really felt like God was soothing me through the words of the author and reassuring me that He continues to work out all things for good. I really need to be keeping a better prayer journal, because I have been truly amazed to see God’s hand time and time again in our adoption. He was able to get my heart and brain back on the same page.
We are now officially number 6 on the list, because along with the 3 referrals last week, one also happened yesterday. We are thankful for referrals, babies getting families, and God’s help in the easy and the hard.
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