Almost there....

Got an e-mail from the embassy this week; two actually.  We are down to waiting for a birth relative interview before we can get Embassy approval.  Hopefully we'll get that interview date tomorrow or Friday.  If I have to wait another weekend...well...let's just say I don't want to wait that long!

I have a friend in Ethiopia this week and she visited Habtamu today!  Said that when she was explaining to him that we were coming soon, he was SO excited and that his excitement made her cry.  She also said he's TALL, so I think we'll need to re-vist what we're packing.  Habtamu  asked if any of his brothers and sisters were coming to pick him up (she said she didn't think so), so she and I both think he'll be WAY excited to see two of his siblings walking into the care center behind his boring parents.  Can't wait for that first meeting!!!!!!!


This weekend is a holiday weekend, and I'm sure we'll do something a little special for Memorial Day.  However, I have it on good authority (mine, ha!) that some serious packing will be underway, too.  


We're almost there........................take a look:

) Birth Certificate - check
2) Authentication - check
3) Approval Letter & Passport - check
4) Application to Embassy Dr. - check
5) Dr. Examination - check 
6) Dr.'s Letter - check
7) Translation - check
8) Submit to Embassy - check
9) Await for Embassy to approve or request more info. - check
9a) Send in additional info. if needed -  (requested an interview) Date:  TBD
10) Approval for Embassy trip (bring him home) - leaving for Addis: SOON

Our week is over...and the end is FINALLY in sight

$1025.  That's what our Give1Save1 week ended up producing for our "Habtamu Fund".  I'm speechless because the OVERWHELMING majority (like 96%) of people who gave, are people I don't even know.  No kidding.  Pretty sure God had a hand in that one, don't you think?

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!  

Those who gave should have received an e-card from me (or a hand written card in some extreme cases), so if you didn't, check you spam folder!

In other news, our case was submitted to the Embassy today!  Pretty sure a birth relative interview will be requested and we HOPE it happens next week.  Please, please, please pray it does.  His uncle has a LONG way to come for the interview...and I can't tell you how many things run through my head about all that could go wrong.  We're so close now...and we want our son home!  Something tells us he wants to come home too.  Thanks, Kim, for bringing these home with you from your trip to see your kids.    Couldn't have asked for a better "souvenir".

If you wanna see the official check-list and what we're down to, click HERE

Honoring a special group of mom's

Our little Hailey's footprints (2001)

I'm posting a Mother's Day poem a couple of days early so I can enjoy a little get-away with the family this weekend.  Pretty sure it will be our last get-away as a family of 6...and the last time we don't have to reserve something larger than a suite!

This is a poem I wrote a few years ago when I was working with moms whose children had just died and birth mothers who were placing their children for adoption.  May was a tricky month for these mom's, because none of them knew if they would, could or should be celebrating mother's day since their children were...well, not with them any longer.  

I know how it feels to have a child "missing" and I also know how it feels to be given a gift by another mother who couldn't (for whatever reason) raise her child on her own.  If you know anyone out there with a "missing" child this Mother's Day, please wish them a special, tender Mother's Day because Mother's Day totally counts for them, too!

For a special group of women on Mother's Day

There is a special group of women

You might not know or recognize.

They are the ones on Mother’s Day

With big tears in their eyes.

They may greet you with a smile today

Because today is your day too.

But deep down they feel much sorrow

They are hoping just to make it through.

Today a mom will get a beautiful card

Thanking her for all she does.

She works for free, all day long

And she does so 'just because.'

But some mothers may not get a card

For there is no longer a child to see.

But please do not forget these moms

They still love their children endlessly.

Many women have a child or two

That everyone can see.

But sometimes there is a little one missing –

One who now lives as a memory.

For not every precious child that is born

Makes memories with mom for years.

Some are called to be with Jesus

And these mothers are left with tears.

For the mother who will never forget

The day her almost grown child died,

For the mother who held a tiny little angel

And too soon had to say goodbye,

For the mother who held her child

Only a few weeks in her womb,

We remember you this mother’s day

Because today is your day too. 

And please don't forget the mom's out there

Who were at a loss for what to do,

When they gave their child to someone else

And prayed for God to see them through.

They knew their child deserved nothing less 

Than the best life had to offer,

So they gave their child a chance at life -

They gave their child a second mother. 

A non-traditional mother 

Should be remembered all year through.

And on Mother's Day 2012

Here is a special prayer for you:

May you feel God's comfort and His peace

May your heart sing a little today

As you celebrate the life you gave

In your own special and wonderful way. 

 Happy Mother's Day Weekend to all my Mom-Friends out there!

PS)  Last Chance:  Our Give1 Save1 week is coming to an end.  We're still hovering at $800 ish.  If you want to be part of this very easy and awesomely wonderful, helpful fundraiser, click:  

Give$1 Save1

Thank You!

Happy Birthday Habtamu

Today is his birthday...not sure if he even knows that.  Not sure if he's ever celebrated his birthday, or known when it really was.  We do know, however, that there will be cake and presents waiting for him when he comes home!

Our Give1Save1 week is 1/2 over...and our total is up to just over $800.  Wow!  In case you're wondering how adoptive families feel about asking for help raising money for an adoption, I can guarantee that none of us enjoy this part of adoption.  In fact, I'd wager to say that it's on an adoptive family's Top 10 list of LEAST favorite things to do.  But, I also know that our family - maybe all families - can't come up with $20k-$30k in just 12 months.  So, thank you to all who have donated your $1 (or more, in many cases).  We don't even know the majority of you who are on our list!  Guess this is just one more sign that God has his hand in bring Habtamu home to his forever family.  Thank You Jesus!

Mother's Day is coming up, and I thought I'd share a sweet memory I had from 10 years ago this week  (yep, I can actually remember some thing from that far back - shocking, I know!). 

Shortly after Corey joined our family I remember taking him to preschool one morning in May...the week of Mother's day, actually.  When I came back to pick him up, there was a giant poster hanging on the door of his classroom.  Each child's name was on this poster, with something special about them listed underneath.  Under Corey's name read:  "My mom picked me out special to love."  Pretty sure at 2 1/2  he didn't come up with that on his own, but I remember thinking how sweet it was that his teachers viewed his joining our family in that way.  

If you've not told your child lately how special they are to you...and one thing that makes them so special in your eyes...maybe this week would be good time to do that. 

Day 2 total :o)))))

We're blown away.  As day 2 comes to a close, we're up to $545 ish for our Give1Save1 campaign.  If you're wondering where all these amazing donations are coming from...I wish I could tell you.  But, many of the names we see here aren't even people we know.  No kidding!

Tomorrow we SHOULD know if Habtamu's file was translated in time to make it to the Embassy this week.  If not, we should be on for next week. Guess you could say that this week we're counting UP and DOWN at the same time?

Lord, thank you for the amazing show of support and generosity so far - support from many people we don't even know.  Thank you for the very tangible reminder that there are people in the world who truly do love orphans...even if they aren't the one's bringing them home right now.  Thank you for the many ways you show up in our lives, and thank you for this incredible journey you have us on right now.  Please keep all of the "waiting children" safe until their forever families are able to bring them home.  Amen.

This Week Only...and some serious update news!

Good news x2!

#1:  We are incredibly honored to be this week's African Adoption Family of the Week!  What in the world is that, you ask?  Well, it means that our family will be featured on the Give1Save1 website and we get to ask our friends (and even complete strangers) if they will help bring our waiting son HOME.

The Give1Save1 concept is simple.  Give $1 each week to 1 adoptive family to save 1 child from forever being an orphan.  Can you imagine if every family in the U.S. gave $1 each week to an adoptive family?  WOW!  That would be a lot of $1's (dollars that I'm thinking wouldn't even be missed).

SO....will you help us with this amazing opportunity?  Will you give $1, and then ask your friends to do the same?  You can e-mail our blog OR post it on your FB page - whatever works for you.  We would be more grateful than you could ever imagine (unless you're an adoptive family - you already know that grateful feeling).

Just click here: Give1Save1 and click the box that reads: Donate to the African Adoption of the week (that's us!).  Our adoption story/video will be waiting for you, too :o)

Will you help spread the word this week????




#2:  In other good news...our not-so-little boy is two steps closer to coming home!  If you want to see the checklist, click HERE for a review of that final check-list.  Dare I say 4-6 weeks we could be on a jet plane to get him?  Yikes! Yea! Wait...we still have some work to do to get ready for our 7th family member!

Almost Home

I've got a secret to share :o)

Thought I'd let you all in on a little secret:

Tomorrow night I have some BIG news to tell you about.  I can't tell you quite yet what it is, but it has to do with some serious updates...& an awesome opportunity.  More awesome than a homemade cheesecake being delivered to my door without anyone else being home to share it with me :o) 

See you all tomorrow night!  Or, Monday morning....I suppose that's not too late either :o) 

We're getting closer...

Still not sure I want to predict a time frame on when we bring this cute face home, but I know we're getting closer - much closer.  Maybe by the end of the week I'll make a more formal prediction based on trends I'm seeing from other families who are at the same stage we're at.  Or, maybe I won't.

To see where we're at and what we're waiting for, check out the list in the post just underneath this one.  We have confirmation that more has been checked off our list!

In other news, we got Habtamu and Corey's room painted this weekend - finally!  I'd post a picture, but a certain 12 year old forgot to clear off his bottom bunk - again.  After moving all the kids' bedrooms around three months ago, it's about time we covered over the pink walls that were once home to our girls.  After all, we CAN'T bring Habtamu home to a bedroom that matches his crocks even if Corey swears that pink can be a boy's color. 

As many of you know, we sent a care package to Habtamu with someone who traveled there a couple weeks ago.  As you can see, one pair of shoes (okay, they're sandals) fit him okay.  And this time, we included 6 pair of socks!  You may remember, when Kyle went to court in January he didn't bring socks for him.  Just shorts and t-shirts (and in all honesty, I didn't know kids wore socks over there so I didn't bother to pack any. That was my first "mother guilt" experience with my Ethiopian son :o(

Here are some recent pics. of him. Notice him looking at the photo album?  The picture he's looking at was the very first one I took of us together last year.  It was taken on Mother's Day 2011 - the day I landed in his country.  What was initially just a cute photo of a cute kid has turned out to be a family photo after all. 

That's the update for now!  Hopefully the next one will be more informative :o)

PS)  Sometime between Sunday night (May 6th) and Monday morning (May 7th) there will be a unique video posted to this blog.  That's all I am saying for now...

Paperwork is moving - finally

Our agency has a birth certificate for Habtamu. Yea! That means we're finally on our way to counting down the weeks to bring him home. Between each step is a week or two, so I guess we're just waiting for our little adventure to unfold one day at a time like everyone else.

9ish more steps to go:
4 ish more steps to go:
3 ish more steps to go: 
2ish more steps to go:

1) Birth Certificate - check
2) Authentication - check
3) Approval Letter & Passport - check
4) Application to Embassy Dr. - check
5) Dr. Examination - check 
6) Dr.'s Letter - check
7) Translation - check
8) Submit to Embassy - check
9) Await for Embassy to approve or request more info.
9a) Send in additional info. if needed
10) Approval for Embassy trip (bring him home)

That's it for now. Spring break has started - and there is some fun to be had :o)

Saying good-bye; Preparing for hello

Even when you know someone you love is dying, it doesn't make it any easier to say good-bye. Earlier this month we lost Kyle's dad. His parents were able to make it out to Utah for one last visit three weeks ago. After returning home, he lost his battle with cancer and went to his Eternal home.

Our pastor talked a while back about the legacy we all leave behind. Kyle's dad left a wonderful one. He was loved and respected by his children, his grand-children and everyone who knew him. He knew the value of hard work, but also the importance of play. He was an avid golfer, and believed in "hitting the ball where it lies". He applied this philosophy to life as well.

When a golfer hits a ball into the rough, he can either hit it from whatever place it landed or replay the ball and add a stroke to his score. Kyle's dad was a firm believer in playing the ball where it landed. He taught his kids to do the same in life. When he was battling cancer none of us heard him complain or ask why this had to happen to him. Though he didn't enjoy it, he dealt with it, and he allowed others to help him do so. He never gave up, he loved those around him until the very end, and I'm honored that he was my father-in-law.

I think my grief is different than most; I am trying to be okay with that. I hate that he had cancer and my heart breaks for Kyle's mom. I wish we lived closer, and I wish...well, let's just leave it at that. However, I know that his dad lived a full life and had the very best care during that life - even at the end. He didn't die in in pain. He wasn't alone. People knew his name and where he came from. His children were part of his whole life, and he was part of theirs. He loved and cherished his wife, and she did the same in return. People sent flowers, gave hugs and gifts and will be there in the weeks and months to come. There were even military honors performed before the burial. Overall, his funeral was touching, beautiful and memorable...just like his life was.

I am sad that my family is sad. I am heartbroken for Kyle's mother who now has the grueling task of creating a new normal for herself. Here's where the "different" part comes in. I am grateful for the beauty and comfort that surrounded my sweet father-in-law at the very end. I know that as hard as all this is, it is much worse for so many others.

I find myself wondering what Habtamu's grief must have been like (or is like) losing both his mother and father and then being taken to an orphanage to be cared for. I wonder what he remembers of his life before the orphanage. I wonder what he held onto when he became an orphan. It's almost like when I think of the sadness Kyle, and all of us, really, are feeling, it is amplified in my heart for Habtamu. I guess it's kind of like grieving for three people all at once???

Our future missionary (a.k.a. Chelsea) had some very poignant questions and observations while we were in IL for grandpa's funeral. One of the sweetest things she said was this: "Mom, it seems like when someone in our family dies, another family member comes along. Why does God do that?" We had a nice heart to heart that night, to say the least! Since Miranda's "gotcha" date was Hailey's 7th heavenly birthday, I think I'm predicting that we'll be in Ethiopia in July (Kyle's dad's birthday is the 10th). Guess we'll see!

And speaking of Habtamu, this week we learned that Habtamu is officially ours! Yep, that pesky court decree was FINALLY issued. The paper-chase in Ethiopia begins now for his final documents, and in 3-4 months-ish we'll be bringing him home; where he belongs.

And, in other news, he has a new birthday...again. Apparently now he was born in 2002. Still trying to figure out which one will "stick" and what will be on his new documents, but we're thinking this is a good thing. We KNOW he's not 12 like they originally "assigned" him to be.



The day after returning home from the funeral we welcomed the Ugandan Orphans Choir to our church. We were one of the lucky families who got to have 4 of the 10 kids stay at our home for a couple of nights. According to Chelsea, "This was the best birthday ever!" The kids were fun, energetic, polite, talented and totally cute.

Madam C celebrating her special day with some special kids.

At home we played "mini fooseball" and learned how to scramble eggs 'Ugandan style'

And after the performance, a group of kids wanted a special photo :o). Miranda figured out this week "I used to be like those kids, right mom? I was an orphan in China, but now I have a family forever?" Still not sure she totally understands the whole adoption thing, but she definitely gets the 'family' thing.

Corey got 'schooled' in air hockey and came upstairs saying "Dang, mom, he's good!"

The choir travels with a music director and a teacher. That's Petwa and Agnus with me below. They are incredibly sweet. There were also two other chaperones with them. I told them both that "Saint" should be put in front of their name! They are living in a van, connected to a trailer, driving around the US for 11 months with these amazing kids and teachers. I don't know of anyone who would give one year of their lives to something like this. Do you?

And of course with Jared around, one MUST play basketball - even if it is in the hallway.

After the choir headed east to where they'll be touring next, a friend of mine said something that really hit home for me. She said something like this: "You know, those 10 kids are singing and dancing their hearts out for God so that us American's can put a face to what an orphan is. As we sat in our comfortable seats and enjoyed a night of entertainment, those kids brought awareness and raised money for those 'left behind'. I should be doing as much!"

Jesus said to them, “I tell you the truth, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first. Matthew 19:28-30

These kids, who are known as "the least of these" (aka "orphans"), left their land, their friends, their school and stepped into the unknown...for God...so He could use them to bring awareness to those of us who live in a land of plenty (and still want more). That verse makes me take a hard look at myself and ask "Am I really following Him? Am I living out my faith? Will I give up when things get hard or uncomfortable? Will I trust Him no matter what?"

Then little children were brought to Jesus for him to place his hands on them and pray for them. But the disciples rebuked those who brought them. Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these. Matthew 19: 13-14

For those of you who constantly pray for us and our adoption, please keep the prayers coming. We are still needing to save, scrap together and/or fund-raise about $10,000. And, as many of you know, when things start going well and you think you have everything you need, "something" comes along and sucks the wind right out of you (or your bank account). Please pray against satan's schemes, and pray that God will continue to provide.

For those of you who have recently started your own adoption adventure, or who are about to (you know who you are!), here are some things to remember:

God is faithful.

God will see you through.

It will be hard.

There will be trials.

Your heart will hurt.

It'll be worth it in the end.

You'll probably find that you'll do it again (I'm totally serious).

And most importantly, you'll get a knot in your stomach and tears in your eyes after your child is home when you realize what you would have missed out on had you given up when things got tough. I shutter to think what our family would be like had we said "no" when we got the call about Corey at the single worst time of our lives. It scares me to think what would have happened to our sweet Miranda had we given up at any one time along the way. I can't imagine the heartache we'd feel right now had we ignored God's quiet whispers to add one more little boy to our family.

Praise God for not giving up on us.

Praise God for giving us more strength than we ever thought we'd want or need.

Praise God for bringing us closer as a family through everything.

Praise God for friends like you!