Stir Crazy

Ok, I'm just going to admit it.  I'm going a little stir crazy.  So thankful to see today that three familes from our agency have gotten their travel dates.  Praising God they have a date when they will forever be with their little ones!!  But there has not been a referral in sooo long - 3 weeks.  It's not that I'm anxious about when our referral will come; it's just that I know there are so many children ready to be loved, ready to have a family.  They aren't suppose to be orphans.  I am praying that these children will come home to their forever families and not have to wait long.  My wait is nothing compared to what they are going through.  Nothing I go through compares to what these children have had to experience in their little lives.  I'm praying that this new 2 trip policy in Ethiopia will be a smooth transition.  Praising God that He is in control.  Someday, I know our little one will come home, but I'll continue praying for the ones who still need a family.  Wouldn't it be incredible if there were no more orphans? Could you help there to be one less? 

Ok, enough rambling for a Monday afternoon....off to baseball...hope it doesn't rain!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BRYCE!!! May numbers! What can we Do??

Bryce is 12 today!!!  One more year and we'll have 4 teens under one roof - watch out world!!  This morning I got up early and filled balloons with helium so I could put them in Bryce's room before he woke up.  My plan was that he woudl wake up later with his room full of balloons and be surprised. Unfortunately, he caught me when I was putting the last bunch in, but he was surprised anyway.  I had so much fun planning it.  It was a great way to start his day as he had to leave for a baseball game at 8 this morning.  He got to open one gift before he leaving - the one thing he asked for and really wanted - undershirts!  He's my practical one.

 We got our May numbers a couple of weeks ago and thought I'd post them.  We are officially......

24 - Girl

11 - Siblings

Things seem to be moving a little slower the last couple of weeks, but it has also been the start of some changes in our program.  We will now officially need to take two trips to Ethiopia.  That's okay.  I have wrapped my mind around the concept and see it's many advantages.  We will be able to meet our child before bringing her home.  We will be able to see much more of Ethiopia and gain lots more knowledge about her beautiful country in two trips as opposed to just one.  We will be better prepared for our trip to bring her home - size, interests, personality, etc. 

It hit me for the first time last night, just how hard it must be for our child's birth mother.  So many thoughts were running through my mind, but here are just a few.  I was already in bed and was very thirsty, so I got up and went to the bathroom.  Since I didn't have a cup, I just cupped my hands to get a refreshing drink of clean, cold water.  It hit me as I bent down to get that first drink.  I take for granted that I have to walk 20 steps for a drink of CLEAN water.  I don't have to worry about providing water and food for my children.  I can't imagine what it would feel like to look at my children and not be able to provide those life sustaining things...to come to the realization that I can't provide.  How many children die each day because of hunger and thirst?  How many die from the parasites in their drinking water?  I look at the statistics and am overwhelmed.  Only 24% of the households in Ethiopia have access to clean drinking water.  1 in 6 children die before their 5th birthday.  There are approximately 147 million orphans in the world with over 5 million of them in Ethiopia.  Those numbers are overwhelming, sometimes to the point that we just sit back and think that the problem is too big for us to do anything.  I want to challenge you today.  As a Christian we are called to help "the least of these". 

Matthew 25:35-40

For I was hungry, and you fed me.  I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink.  I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home.  I was naked, and you gave me clothing.  I was sick, and you cared for me.  I was in prison, and you visited me. 

Then these righeous ones reply. 'Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you?  Or thirsty and give you something to drink?  Or a stranger and show you hospitality?  Or naked and give you clothing?  When did we ever see you sick or in prison and visit you?

And the King will say,' I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me.'

What can we do?  There are many wonderful organizations providing clean water or food. There may be someone in your own backyard or across the world.  A neighbor...friend....relative...stranger?  Would you prayerfully consider being Jesus' hands and feet?  Would you pray?  Would you consider adoption?

New Home Study Finished!!!!!

I can't believe I'm blogging twice in one day, but just got the most miraculous news!!!!  Just received and email from our SW today that she has our new home study finished, has sent it to AGCI, and will be sending it to Springfield, IL for approval!!!  I can't believe it.  I was expecting to wait at least 2-3 weeks and our SW got it done in less than 4 days!!  We are sooooo blessed to have our SW!!!! You may wonder why I thought it would take so long.  The agency who did our home study will be going from 3 SWs down to just one for international adoptions in a couple of weeks.  They have a waiting list of 50 people and are not taking new names at this time.  So you can imagine how busy she is.  God is above ALL things.  Now the wait for the approval from Illinois.  Last time we were told it could take up to 6 weeks and ended up taking about three.  I'm okay with the unknown.  God is in control.

On a side note, just passed a garage sale that had lots of baby stuff.  Sooooo tempted to stop as we don't have anything left from our first four.  But what if our child(ren) is not an infant?  So I'll just wait.....

Changing Parameters

Wow!  I just got back from subbing in our school's little Morning out for Moms program.  I got to work in the 3 1/2 to 5 year old room.  They were SO MUCH FUN, so curious, so trusting, so loving, so excited about life, such a simple little faith... and I'm even more thankful we are changing our parameters for siblings.  We originally put in our homestudy 0 - 3 years, which I took to believe was 0 to 48 months, but I was prompted a couple weeks ago to ask about it.  Our SW let us know that here in Illinois it means 0 - 36 months.  So after talking with her and AGCI, we have decided to go ahead and change it, but to extend it even further to 60 months...seems strange we have to be so specific.  We also originally wanted to just put siblings...not a specific number, but Illinois wants us to be specific so we stuck with two.  Unfortuately, in Illinois we are not able to just do an addendum.  The entire home study has to be redone and reapproved by Illinois before we can resubmit it to USCIS again.  So once again, we wait.  But I know the Lord is in control.  He already knows the child or children we will be blessed to love one day.  These changes are doing nothing to His plan.  These changes will neither slow down nor speed up the process.  I put my total trust in Him and really feel His lead in making these changes.

As we wait, our children here at home get more and more excited.  I am in the process of moving our two girls into a room together.  It's been a challenge to put both of their tastes into one room, but we are getting there. We decided to use 2 paint colors, so last weekend, I was able to get one of the colors done.  The girls don't have school tomorrow, so I think we will try to finish painting.  I got each of them their own big bulletin boards to go over their beds.  They are so excited about those, but Dad's going to have to get the drill out for that one.  After having a room to themselvesfor so long, this will be a big change for them, but they are so excited about it.  I can't wait to post pictures...cause that will mean it's done!!!  B was so cute the other day.  He came home from school and said, "Mom, I wish we were adopting a boy my age.  That would be so much fun."  He also has mentioned before how he'd like a little brother that he could teach how to do things, play catch, play basketball, etc.  He will be such a wonderful big brother.  So we are all getting so excited around here and can't wait to see what the Lord has planned.

There have been lots of other things going on around here. H is going to be a section leader for her marching band next year. T2 made the cheerleading squad for high school next year. T1 went to his first prom and was on the court. I got to chaperone Post prom and didn't get home until 5AM!!!! And baseball has started for B and just sang his first duet in front of a crowd!!! It's so much fun to see our children using the talents God has given them. I'll have to post some more pictures soon, cause all these words can be sooooo boring!

                                                            T1(left) and friends.

April numbers

I can't believe it's been over a month since I last posted...well, yes I can believe it.  With Spring Break in Florida, a garage sale, college visits, soccer games and baseball games, this month has flown by.  But with all the craziness, we have had some great news.  Our appoval letter came from USCIS and we received our FDL!  There have been many, many referrals in the last two weeks, which has been so wonderful knowing so many children are coming home.  We also got our new official numbers last week!!!!
32 Girl
13 Siblings
And with all the referrals that have gone out in the last two weeks, the numbers have to be better!!! Sometimes waiting is so hard.  I want everything to go one speed - fast, fast, fast. I am so thankful God has a plan...a perfect plan.  Better than any plan I could ever imagine.  He knows our child and knows when they'll come home.  I can't wait!!!!! But while I wait, I can pray.  It's hard sometimes imagining that our child may be out there somewhere.  Maybe hungry, tired, scared, grieving.  I pray that God will take care of them while we wait...that He will hold them in His arms until I can....

God is my refuge and my strength

This week has ended in a whirlwind and strangely, I am at peace.  We just got word from our agency that the Ethiopian government is now requiring adoptive parents to make two trips to Ethiopia to complete their adoption instead of just one.  That is one of my biggest fears - leaving our first four children at home, while flying half way across the world to bring home our child from Ethiopia.  Going through this process is growing my faith more than I ever imagined.  There is nothing in my control.  There are bumps in the road that I am not able to go around.  There are changes in the rules - which I can't argue about.  I have to totally rely on God. 
Thank you, God, for your Word...for the hope and encouragement in your Word that You knew I'd need. 
Thank you for friends and family who are there to pray for us and with us.  Thank you for the many families who are going through all these changes along with us and have been such an encouragement to me.  You have put all these people in my life with just the right words to give me peace...Your peace.  Bless them and give them peace.  You have given me so much in Your Word to draw strength from during this wait.

Psalm 46:1-3,7  God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.  Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.  The Lord Almighty is with us;  the God of Jacob our fortress
John 16:33 I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace.  In this world you will have trouble.  But take heart!  I have overcome the world.
This world is so far from perfect.  Even in the worst storms of our lives, God is with us.  He is in control. 
Hebrews 13:5b I will never leave you; never will I forsake you.
He is always with me.
Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

Lord, You have a plan for our family.  You would not have led us down this road of adoption to fail.  Somewhere in Ethiopia is the child you have chosen for our family.  I will trust You through all the trials and trouble we might have to go through to get to our child. 

I'm choosing to focus on the positive.  We did get our numbers call last night!!!!  We are #38 for a little girl and #15 for siblings.  Our CM did say that we are more realistically #36 for a little girl as documentation for 2 families accepting referrals for little girls are coming in this week.  So we are getting closer!!!  I'm getting more things checked off on our list of things to do.  I talked with our pediatrician and she is comfortable with doing our child's first post-adoption exam and actually has experience with that.  I contacted the international adoption pediatrician who will review the medical information we get when our referral comes and he is more than willing to do that and was even born here.  I just finished getting certified for CPR and 1st Aid.  Now, I need to gather information about vaccinations as we need to start that soon.  Yuck!  That's one thing I am not looking forward to.

Ethiopian Dinner

I've been sitting by my phone for a week now, waiting for my CM to call with our numbers update.  I have a feeling I will miss it as I have to leave the house in just a little while.  But on the bright side, I am almost positive that we are out of the 40's!!!  I really would like to talk to my CM.  I know there are so many more important things that they have to do...such as make referral calls!!  And I'd much rather they do that than give me an update on my number.

 Anyway, I thought I'd write about our first experience with Ethiopian food.  Bill googled a recipe..looking for something that our kids might try and found a recipe for Ethiopian Beef and Peppers.  Our 2nd daughter loves to cook so we headed to the grocery store to get all the ingredients.  I'm not sure about most people, but we did not have many of the spices for this recipe around our house...fresh ginger (which the kids loved smelling and seeing), cardamom, and tumeric (all very strong spices).  We also made Injera (a flat bread).  The meat dish was very interesting.  It ended up having a green paste covering the beef.  I think we will have to try another recipe....everyone ate it with a smile (except for the 17 year old who's going through a wonderful phase when it comes to getting his picture taken).  They were so brave.  Ha! Ha!  They did all like the Injera and the fact that they didn't have to use utensils.  It was fun, but I think I'd like to try an Ethiopian restaurant...maybe when we go to Chicago sometime.