WE ARE HOME!!!

WOW.  What a trip HOME!!!

Parting from Big Brother was difficult, though God covered us those last few days.  Tears rolled, but I really felt S understood we would be back for him as soon as possible!!!  I had a cake made that said, "WE LOVE YOU S*** MARQUEZ!"  And the director of the orphanage gathered all the children and allowed me to express to S that this cake was celebrating HIM and our love for him and how we are excited to come back as soon as we can to bring him HOME!!!!  I could tell he felt special and loved and it helped seal the promise that we would return!

Kaleab and I left Addis Ababa Thursday night at about 10:30pm.  There was no bassinet seat available, so that meant that all 35 hours of the trip would be in my lap!  I openly admit to being nervous about that!  And when Kaleab started crying the first 15 minutes (or at least if felt that long), I got even more nervous!

But he travelled like a ROCK STAR!!!!  I am so PROUD of him!!!

Thirty minutes after arriving in Washington DC, I am sad to say, my ergo carrier was stolen!  YIKES!  This was SUCH a LIFESAVER to me all five weeks in Ethiopia, as well as on my travels up to this point! I was SO BUMMED!!!  Even still, Kaleab travelled wonderfully.  My arms were more tired, but all went well!

We had a scare that we would get stuck in Denver due to the largest snow storm there e.v.e.r!!!  But, God pulled through and brought us HOME Friday night!

We were welcomed by so many amazing and wonderful people, screaming and cheering for us as we walked through the glass doors!  I first saw Jeff waving our huge Ethiopian flag, wearing his bright yellow Ethiopian soccer jersey.  Sweetest site ever!

Then, as I kept walking toward him, I realized all the people that were there with him!  And realized that they were there for US!!!  They all cheered so loud, I couldn't help but cry!  Oh, the emotions!  I was HOME!  I was heading toward Jeff and being in his arms!  AND KALEAB WAS WITH ME!!!!!  It all seemed so surreal!!!!

I felt like I wanted to say a sort of speech or something.  Or have our precious pastor, Trevor, say a prayer or something.  But there was so much cheerful noise and chaos, that it just seemed best to let the positive energy flow!

I cannot find the words to express how MUCH it meant to have so many people there to celebrate with us and praise God with us!!!!!  A very momentous occasion for sure!!!  Here is a sample of the love and celebration at the airport Friday night!  I will post more pictures as I receive them from other friends ~ we were too busy hugging each other and others to take pics!

HOME. SWEET. HOME!!!

CLEARED EMBASSY!

It's official!!!! 


WE CLEARED EMBASSY!!! WE ARE COMING HOME!!! 


Leave late tomorrow night and arrive Boise airport 8:34pm!!! Would LOVE to see you at the airport!!! 


Feels like I am floating!!!! 


So surreal!!! ♥ ♥ ♥


THANK YOU, GOD!!!  A 2 year journey.......that is worth every.single.tear.and.set-back!

EMBASSY INTERVIEW!

I have been invited to embassy for my interview this morning (Wed)!  The appointment is at 9am!

I am up and running to the shower, in hopes of getting a shower and even getting my hair dried before peanut wakes up ~ rare occasion but will feel like I am pampering myself if the plan works! {smile}

Please continue to pray that all goes well at the appointment and that they agree to grant me Kaleab's visa by tomorrow so we can keep our Thursday night departure tickets!

Did I just say tomorrow!?!?!?!?!?  Is this really happening!?!?!?!?!?

It has been SUCH a loooooong road to bringing Kaleab HOME!!!!!  Praising God for finalizing this with these last steps!!!!!

On the bitter side of this sweet news, I told Big Brother we would be leaving Thursday, and I have never seen the life be sucked out of someone's face so fast.  We cried and prayed together.  This is going to be one difficult departure!  No child or parent should have to endure this!  ONE trip should be all it takes!  THANK YOU for covering Big Brother in your prayers..............until he is HOME with us too!!!!

SO IN LOVE WITH OUR TWO BOYS!

WE CLEARED EMBASSY!!!

You heard me right!  WE CLEARED EMBASSY TODAY!!!!

PRAISING GOD!!!  And pinching myself every now and again to see if this really is REAL!!!!  I am feeling so ELATED!!!  I read and re-read the email from embassy many times before it actually sunk in as true!!!!

The birth mom showed up and embassy said, "the interview went smoothly....and we are ready to proceed with a visa interview."

YUP!  You got it!  We cleared embassy with the birth mom interview and the next step is to get my interview scheduled, which we are hoping is tomorrow or the next day!!!!!!  Kaleab's visa should be produced within 1-2 days following my appointment!

Cannot seem to feel like I have THANKED GOD ENOUGH!!!!  Feeling so BLESSED and not sure how to express my gratitude to our Loving Heavenly Father!!!!  So glad He knows my heart and what words I lift to Him communicate what my heart is feeling! He knows!!!!  THANK YOU, JESUS!!!

Know what all this means!?!?!?!?!?..............

Kaleab and I should be on a plane toward HOME Thursday (or possibly Friday)!!!!!

We honestly cannot THANK YOU ENOUGH for your persistent prayers!!!!  They have so lifted me, carried me and are helping to bring us HOME!!!!!  Each of you have been such an integral part of this journey to our boys!!!!  Thank You!!!  Thank You!!!  THANK YOU!!!!!

Hoping you will continue to pray us home as well as pray for Big Brother as we approach the day of "See ya soon."  While very excited to be getting home, I just can't imagine leaving a son behind.  Again.  May God fill him with His divine peace and joy and may He fill S with a divine confidence in Christ's love for him as well as a divine confidence in our love (his mom and dad) for him!!!!!

Blessings to each and every one of you!  May you feel God's love and see His great works in some form of your day today!!!!

Tomorrow!

When I stop striving to create a life for myself, I find the life God creates for me. 
~ Rachel Olsen (Proverbs 31 Ministries)


When my plans were interrupted with embassy mess-ups, I freaked.  But once I was able to let go of how I thought things should go, God provided me the life He created for me these past weeks.  And I will be forever grateful.


LOVE what GOD is showing me amidst my time here in Ethiopia.  A love unending.  A grace awe-inspiring.  A peace beyond my wildest imagination.  A bonding with my boys that will carry us a lifetime.


Thank you, Lord.  For meeting me right where I am.  For providing me just what I need.


My prayer is that amongst these aforementioned blessings, you are orchestrating every detail that needs attention to bring us embassy clearance TOMORROW (very early Monday morning in US).  My mind tries to cover the details, so I that I can ask for your assistance at every detail in my prayers.  I can drive myself crazy with this.  Only YOU know what hearts need to be touched.  Only YOU know how to protect Kaleab's birthmother's travels.  Only YOU know every detail and how to cover them.  And so, I lay it all at your feet and ask you.........PLEASE!  BRING US EMBASSY CLEARANCE TOMORROW!  And may you grant me my embassy interview Monday afternoon or early Tuesday, Lord.  Thank you for covering this.  For covering me and our boys.     AMEN.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DADDY!

Today, in America, it is Jeff's birthday.

He is home and the three of us are in Ethiopia.  Doesn't sound like much of a birthday present, does it!?!?

But what a precious birthday it is!  Jeff is a Daddy!  He has a beautiful 11 month old baby boy and an amazing and precious 11 year old son!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DADDY!

We miss you and love you and can't wait to be with you again!  Praying that is SOON!!!

Honey, know that you are already an amazing Dad.  To both our boys!  There is something about watching you with either one ~ or both ~ of our boys that just melts my heart.  You love them in such a beautiful way.  You love me in such an amazing way!  It is YOUR birthday, yet I feel like WE are the ones who are blessed!!!!  Thank you for praying us home.  Thank you for fighting the good fight.  Thank you for helping to keep GOD the center of this family and this adoption.  Thank you for being YOU!

Know that I desire to seek God in every way to help me be the loving, Christian wife and mother He created me to be.  For you and for our boys.  I want to be all you deserve and more.  Every day.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MY LOVE!!!!

{May it be just a matter of days before we are with you again!  Lord, please show up BIG Monday!  Please!}

THE PRAYERS ARE WORKING!!!

Everyone's prayers are working!!!! 


I cannot believe today is Friday!!! God has SO sustained me EACH and EVERY day of these weeks! What I have experienced is a true miracle!!!!  I literally felt as though I could not even stand, say nothing about parenting our baby and bonding with our older son!  I couldn't imagine getting Kaleab ready by 9am and being gone each day until 5pm ~ visiting Big Brother and lunch in between....


...But I have experienced God empowering me and literally carrying me on His path!  I have been able to dive into each day and enjoy it for what it brings me, and {try to} not worry about the future!


He has blessed our days with wonderful play with Big Brother (BB) and the bond forming between me and BB and our two sons is beautiful!!!  Some of you commented that maybe my time here was to deepen BB's understanding of our love for him and that just might be one of the great things that comes from this extended stay!   Our driver commented yesterday how BB's face lights up when he sees us!


God has also blessed me with a solid understanding that it is not me and my independent self, nor is it even my dear and loving husband in whom I am to need.  It is my Heavenly Father.  God is ALL I need!  He removed Jeff and any ability I may have to take care of our court and embassy dates, and He left me here.  Alone.  With GOD as my only protector and provider.  The Lover of my soul.


And, indeed, He HAS protected, provided and loved.  Not just me, but Jeff in the US, and each one of our boys as well!  It has been beautiful!!!


After one week here without Jeff, I heard of our embassy fiasco, and learned that they gave her an embassy date almost two weeks away!  Seriously, I crumbled!  I couldn't imagine how I would ever face two more WEEKS here without Jeff!  And now, the weekend is approaching us with the birth mom interview around the corner on MONDAY! 


Please continue to PRAY THAT ALL GOES WELL ON MONDAY!!!! 


It is difficult to want to be HOME so BADLY! Yet, not want to say "see ya soon" to Big brother!!!!  Such a dichotomy of feelings!


Poor Kaleab......I am not doing much of anything we learned in Karyn Purvis training, in the sense of cocooning and staying home for multiple weeks, anyway. This little boy falls asleep in the van and wakes up at some new restaurant every.single.day!  Poor guy! He is handling it awesome though! 


Well, he was until he got sick anyway.   He is on antibiotics for an ear infection and upper respiratory infection.  He vomitted up the medicine this morning, so I am not sure how much of it he got.  Could explain his fussiness today.  Aaaahhhhh, but BB was a great medicine.  He got Kaleab smiling and giggling and forgetting for a while that he was so sick.


IN LOVE WITH OUR BOYS!!!!! As hard as this has been, I mean it when I say they are SO WORTH IT!!!!! 


Now, as much beauty as I can see that is coming from this extended stay, my body is tired and I am more than ready to try to parent our baby in the luxuries of America.  PLEASE PRAY that God is going before us, paving the way for us to be cleared by embassy this MONDAY, January 30!!!!!  No more mess-ups, Lord, PLEASE!!!!  Not because our family deserves it, just because of your grace and mercy on us.  Please, Lord, Please!!!!  Let Monday be OUR day!!!!


If we are cleared, most likely my embassy interview will be Tuesday and it will then take two days to get Kaleab's visa.  We should be on a plane to HOME next Thursday, February 2nd!  All depending on how embassy goes!  May God be moving the embassy employee's heart already in favor of victory for our family!!!!!

Thanks to each and every one of you.  

You have been God's hands and feet to ME!!!  

And I have been truly BLESSED!!!