MERRY CHRISTMAS, BOYS!

WISHING YOU A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS, 

KALEAB AND "S"!

 Sattie and Dub gifted these ornaments to each of you!

(we will show "S's" ornament as soon as we pass court)

Each of yours were hung next to daddys first ornament on their tree!

Daddy and I have been rushing around packing (to come see you!) and have been enjoying picking out things to bring to Ethiopia for each of YOU! You may not be here in person, but you both so fill our hearts!

Daddy and I walked into church last night for a beautiful candlelight Christmas Eve service, so full of gratitude and love.  You may not have been there in person, but you both were so in our hearts.

My sweet friend, Tara, (now in Ethiopia) has been sending me daily updates and oftentimes pictures of you both ~ many of them are of the two of you TOGETHER!  Melt.our.hearts!  We may not be there in person ~ yet! ~ but we so are in our hearts!

Christmas is the time when we all reflect upon the most beautiful story of all.  The precious birth of Christ.  We reflect upon God's love.  A love so vast that He sent His only son to earth.  To walk the human walk of life.  To eventually be crucified and buried.  All to take upon himself our sin.  Our burdens.  And on the third day he arose from the dead.  Bringing to each and every person a way to be forgiven.  A way to enter into heaven.  A way to develop an intimate relationship with God.

What an amazing love!!!!

It is because of this unconditional, unending love that we can have hope.  Hope that we have a Heavenly Father who loves us SO MUCH that He would give His only begotten son.  FOR US!!!

Our whole journey to you two boys has brought your Daddy and me to our knees.  Several times.  Laying each one of you at His feet.  Laying our desires for a family at His feet.  Clinging to our faith in Him.  Our faith that His love is True and His plan for our lives GREAT.  The more we cling to this faith, the more we see our Lord and Saviour move.  On our behalf.  Carrying out plans He ordained for each of us so long ago.  Long before we were even born.

As pastor Tri said last night, the more faith we have the more hope we develop.  As we see God's faithfulness to those who trust in Him.  And as our faith and hope develop, our hearts overflow with love.  With His love. His steadfast love.  His unconditional love.

We feel this agape love overflowing.  And our journey to you has increased this flow.  Boys, each one of you has brought us closer to God, deeper in our trust in Him and buried in our love for Him and His love for us.  We are filled to overflowing a love deeper than we have ever known.  For each one of you.  And for Heavenly Father.

The two of you are our personal stories of children gifted from God.  As empty as we are, not having you home (yet!), we can't help but feel a fullness of love, protection and provision.  For the birth of Christ and the birth and referral of each one of you!  BOTH of you will always remind me of God's steadfast love.  His provision and yearning to fill the desires of our hearts abundantly more than we can ever even imagine.

We pray for you daily.  And we prayed a special prayer last night.  Christmas Eve.  Our last one without you home.

Thanking God for you both.  And thanking Him for the precious gift of allowing us to be with you in a matter of DAYS!!!!  As well as the ability to celebrate Ethiopian Christmas with you on our January 7th!

Precious, precious gifts, indeed!  Christmas is the celebration of God's love.  And this year, it is also the celebration of how God's love brought us each of YOU!!!!!

MERRY MERRY CHRISTMAS, MY SONS!!!!!

WE LOVE YOU WITH ALL OUR HEART!!!!

Please leave a message to Kaleab and "S."  This will one day be a book for them.  What a precious gift to know so many already love them and have been praying them home!!!!

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU!!!!

WE ARE SUBMITTED TO EMBASSY!

WE WERE SUBMITTED TO EMBASSY TODAY!!!!!

GOD HEARD OUR PRAYERS!!!  We have been asking God to bless us with an embassy submission TODAY ~ a week earlier than anticipated! ~ and He answered our prayers!  We are now in the FINAL STAGE of Kaleab's adoption!

I had asked Kristen, our coordinator, almost weekly since passing court, if things were looking like an earlier embassy submission was even possible.  The answer was consistently no, that things were not looking good.   So, today I didn't even THINK about it when I sat down to check my email!  And what a sweet surprise to see an email from her titled, "Embassy Paperwork."  I took a double take and re-read the email three times before this truth actually sunk in!

GOD HEARD OUR PRAYERS!!!!  THANK YOU, LORD!!!!

Okay, so once US Embassy receives our paperwork, they have five business days to inform us of their plan:  a) To clear us to bring Kaleab HOME!; or (b) To request an interview or further paperwork; or (c) To send our case to Nairobi, Kenya ~ they do this when a case is too challenging to prove orphan status {this is THE WORST scenario and could hold things up by 2-3 months!}

Of course we are PRAYING for a quick embassy clearance, and hope you will continue to join us in our prayers!  WE ARE ON THE HOME STRETCH!!!  The recent pattern has been a hold up of a couple of weeks for further "investigation" by US Embassy {i.e., paperwork or interviews}.  Therefore, we will not be surprised by this if it happens to us as well.  However, this will not keep us from asking God for the desires of our hearts, which is immediate clearance!  Nothing is impossible with God (Luke 1:37)!

Either way, we pray that God's will be done and that His will is for efficiency and smooth sailing with our clearance.  Once again, we lay Kaleab at His feet and ask for His divine protection as we now step into the FINAL STAGE of his adoption!

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO US!!!  Kaleab is submitted to embassy AND we have a January 3rd Court Date for Big Brother!!!  Amazed!!  Awed!!  Tears of JOY!!!!

May I also beckon your prayers for two families that have walked out with us the extended delay since meeting our children?  Both the Boosalis and Russell families are awaiting submission as well, and are as desperate as we are to finalize their adoption of their sweet baby girl and boy, respectively.  

It is our prayer that they may still receive this news TODAY, and if not, that they for sure hear the sweet sound of "Embassy Submission" by next Wednesday!  {They can only submit on Wednesdays}  May God bless their holiday with such Joy that this next week flies by for each of them if they are called to wait another week!

Again, I cannot THANK YOU ENOUGH for storming the heavens with all of your prayers!  The heavens are moving and shaking because of them!!!  Please keep praying!  For us, The Boosalis' and the Russells'.........

"For when two or three gather together as my followers, I am there among them." - Matthew 18:20  

THE PAST FEW DAYS.

What have we been up to these past few days?

Well, taking the sweet advice of others, of course!  Between making lists and trying to complete more tasks than I add to the list each day, we have been enjoying doing things that may be a bit harder to do once the boys are home!  {big ol' smile inserted here!}

Here is a quick peek into our past few days......

THURSDAY NIGHT our small group came over for some taco soup, brownies (thanks for bringing dessert, Andrea!), and great conversation.  It was so GOOD to see everyone!  Our dear friends Kate and Kyle brought their one week old son, Ti,  for dinner!  SUCH a sweet baby boy!

 Kyle, Kate and Brooks before baby Ti entered into the world!

 SO PRECIOUS!

 Jeff holding Ti the day after he was born.

Big Brother, Brooks, already enthralled by his little baby brother.....

{Okay, so I confess to forgetting to take pics when everyone was at the house, so Kate's FB pics had to do.  Thanks, Kate!}

Following dinner, we went to the Botanical Garden to see their incredible annual Christmas display of lights!  Thanks for taking the pics, Josh!  {I've GOT to get better at remembering my camera!}  As you can see, I have not yet lightened one of them up.

 So you can hardly tell, but this is me and Andrea.

Have to include this one because I love this friend so much!!!

Me and sweet Hubs.

It was a special night, indeed!  We are so blessed by each and every one of you in our small group!  We missed you, Howard and Miles families!

Speaking of being blessed.........

Don't you just LOVE how God unexpectedly intertwines lives!?!?!?  He has blessed me ABUNDANTLY through my new adoptive friends, "old" friends, family as well as through many of my patients {I am a physical therapist}.

FRIDAY NIGHT Jeff and I were blessed by with an evening with Frank and Sandy.  Who are these two wonderful peeps, you ask?  Well, at one point, Frank was my patient following a total knee replacement.  But he has become a lot more than just a patient to me.  He and his wife, Sandy, have become like family, and we were able to share Friday night with them!!!  It was sooooo fun!!!

First, before going to dinner, they gifted us this oh-so SOFT and ADORABLE blanket and pillow that Sandy made for Kaleab!  It has such cute little critters on it and she made a pillow for us to take to ET with us so that it will have the ET scent for Kaleab when we return home!

{Ok, just realized the blanket is upside down!  oh boy!}
Aren't the critters cute!!!???!!!

After much ooohhhhhing and aaaahhhing over this sweet gift of love, we went to dinner together.  Okay, gang, we are talking incredibly good Mexican food!  It was a quaint authentic restaurant that neither Jeff nor I had visited before......but will definitely be returning to!  THANK YOU, SANDY and FRANK!  It was such a special evening for us!  We cherish you both!  And look forward to many more sweet times with you when our boys are home!

 Our precious friends, Frank and Sandy.

Ha!  The blur indicates just how FAST this guy 

chops ingredients to make a GREAT guacamole!

SATURDAY MORNING was shared talking with a sweet adoptive friend, Randee.  We have been connected through our adoptions, though we are using different agencies, and we continue to enjoy the growth of our friendship.  I ask you to pray for this precious couple, as they await their referral for a sweet baby boy!  Click here to follow their journey to him!  THANKS, Randee!  It was like we went to coffee together!

SATURDAY NIGHT was like old times!  Our friend, Lisa, came over for dinner and a movie.  We've been friends for a long time {Lis was in our wedding} but sometimes life interrupts how often we get together with her like this.  All three of us were in our jammies, sippin' our hot apple cider with a bit of cinnamon/fireball whiskey thrown in!  This drink is called a Cinnamon Apple Jack, and it is GOOD!  I'm no expert on alcoholic drinks, but this was perfect for a cold winter night {even if there STILL is no snow}!

Well, it was fun to be productive toward getting ready for our trip to the boys ~ WE LEAVE IN NINE DAYS!!!! ~ but it was also fun to share time with such wonderful friends!!!

Hoping you all had a productive and FUN weekend too!  And that the love and friendship carries on into this Christmas week for all of us!!!

Busy, Busy, BUSY!!!!

Wow!  This past week and a half have been FULL of knocking things off of my "To Do List!"
All great FUN!!!  Most fun I have had checking things off my list!  {big ol' smile}

Ordering Kaleab's Car Seat:  DONE!  {should arrive Saturday!}
Update ET Travel Packing List:  DONE!
Christmas Shopping:  DONE!
Wrapping of Presents:  DONE!
Shipping of Presents:  Almost DONE!

Now to begin the PACKING for our trip to our BOYS!!!!  LOVIN' LIFE right now!!!

My sweet friend, Kylie, reminded me of an eye-opening fact.  This is my LAST TWO WEEKS ~ EVER! ~ of not having our boy (or boyS!) HOME!!!!!  How EXCITING!!!!  SO MUCH still to be done before we go!  But Kylie also reminded me that this is my last two weeks to take time for myself to relax, read, pray, and relax some more!!!

Sounds weird, but that had not hit me before our chat last night.  I have been so focused on all that needs to be done, that fact hadn't registered yet.  HHHhhhhhhmmmmmmmm.....struggling to find items on my "To Do" List that I can scratch off and do when we get home.  Ha!  Okay, I guess cleaning mop boards and light switches can wait, huh!?!?!?  ;)

Well, here are a couple sweet pics we received today from Kris Huckaby, who just returned home from meeting their son and PASSING COURT!!!!!

We also received precious pics of Big Brother.....AND A VIDEO of Big Brother talking to us!...Telling us that he prays for us!!!  SO LOVE THIS BOYS HEART!!!!!  Melting.  My heart is melting!!!

SO MANY FAMILIES have passed court these past two weeks!!!  GO, GOD!!!!  PRAYING that this trend continues and carries over into our January 3rd Court Date for Big Brother!!!!

Also still praying that God blesses us with an embassy submission for Kaleab by Christmas!!!

Oh, Lord, I hate to ask for more, when you are blessing us in abundance, but I pray you will continue to watch over our CD and embassy submission and help expedite the bringing HOME of our BOYS!!!!

Wishing all of you a sweet Wednesday!!!

SNEAK PEAK!

MY OH MY!!!  Remember the saying "A picture is worth a thousand words"...???????

Oh, be still my heart!

Our sweet friends, Angela and Darrin, are in ET meeting and loving on their Josie girl.  And they visited our boys yesterday!!!!  It was so good to see Darrin playing with "Big Brother"in the yard of his orphanage!  We SO can't wait to be doing that too!!!!

Angela and Darrin live in OR and we already have plans to continue our friendship when our kiddos are HOME!  Including camping together in the summers!  And they told "Big Brother" to look forward to some fun camping!  AAAAHHHHH!!!!!!  When I read that it just melted me!  I hope it melted BB's heart too!  I hope it helped things seem even more real for him too!!!!

Oh, and even though I cannot show you "Big Brother's" pictures ~ yet! ~ I can show you a sneak peak at what pictures we woke up to in my inbox this morning!!!!

How PRECIOUS this is, to know that our friends were just loving on our boys!!!!  They also sent this ever so sweet picture of Ang and Darrin (holding their sweet Josie) and Kaleab with one of his nannies!!!!  SO PRECIOUS!!!!  I'd post it but I cannot.......until they pass court, that is!!!!  Please join us in praying that they pass court this week ~ DECEMBER 16th!!!!!

Oh, the blessings of adoption are abundant!!!!

THANK YOU, Angela and Darrin!!!!  We love you guys!!!

{P.S.  Momma and Daddy can't wait to go camping too!!!!}

WE ARE COMING, BOYS!!!!

WOOHOOOOO!!!!! We finally have tickets purchased!!!! 

We leave for DC December 28th, spend the night, and head to ET December 29th!!!!  And guess what detail God included in all of this travel preparation!?!?!?!?!?  He placed us in the EXACT TWO SEATS ~ one row behind ~ my sweet adoption friend, Kimberly Kulp, and her hubby!!!!  Can you believe it!?!?!?!?  Who says God doesn't pay attention to detail!!!!!  Kimberly and I met 11 months ago in Georgia at the first Created for Care retreat!!!!  And now......we will be traveling together to ET!!!!!  GOD IS SO GOOD!!!!

We are hoping Daddy, Kaleab and I all travel home together, but if we have not yet received embassy clearance when Daddy has to come home, Mama is staying in ET until we are cleared!!!!  Would LOVE a miracle where I could just stay until Big Brother cleared too!  Can't wait to see how God works out the remaining details!!!!!

Please pray for expediency and efficiency with embassy as well as PASSING COURT for Big Brother on January 3rd!!!  What a fabulous way to start our year as a family!!!!!

Not sure how I will make it through ANOTHER 3 weeks of waiting, but knowing we will be WITH OUR BOYS December 30th will somehow get me through!!!!   Thank You, Jesus!!!!

AAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!!!! 

♥ ♥ ♥ 

WE ARE COMING BOYS!!!!! WE ARE COMING!!!!  

A WILLOW TREE DAY!

So what is a "Willow Tree Day," you ask???  It is a day FULL of blessings from sweet and thoughtful friends.  Here is how mine went at the end of my week last week......

I went to work and it was sweet Kristy's last day for treatment.  She came to the clinic carrying two beautifully wrapped presents in black, white and red paper and a precious bow with bells!  They were SO PRETTY I hated to tear off the paper and bow!

One box held the Willow Tree called "New Dad". You know how each item has a description that comes along with it?  Well "New Dad" had the message......"In awe and wonder of what's to come."  

The other box carried, "Mother and Son"....."Captiviating the bond of love between mothers and sons."  How beautiful is that!?!?!?  Choked up and teary Kristy exclaimed, "There is your family, Debb!  All four of you!"  Brought. me. to. tears!!!!!  SO BLESSED by you, Kristy!  And blessed by your amazing heart! 

So, I finish my day with a dance in my step and joy in my heart,  and make it home......only to find a box at our doorstep.  Jeff is always getting things delivered for work, so I thought nothing of it, until I saw MY name on the box!  This one was for ME!!!  {girlish giggle inserted here}

I immediately saw it was a dear friend, Lynne Elliot, whom I knew in college!  She has been SUCH an encourager throughout this journey to our boys!  Guess what it was!?!?!?!?........

The Willow Tree "Quietly"...."Quietly encircled by love."  It is a momma sitting with her baby and older child hugging her!!!!!  CAN YOU BELIEVE IT!?!?!?

WOW!  To be blessed once like this is AMAZING, but TWICE!?!?!?  With pieces that fit our family story so beautifully!?!?!?!?  I felt so LOVED!  Not just by my two precious friends, but also by God!  He knew that I needed a gentle sweet reminder that He IS orchestrating our family to be together!!!  

Keep in mind, we had learned that Kaleab would likely not be submitted to embassy until late December, and I was feeling sad about that.  This was also the day before we heard of "Big Brother's" January 3rd Court Date!

So, yes!  This past weekend was GRAND for me!  Basking in the love of my friends and their beautiful thoughtful hearts, and praising God for not only speaking to me through these two precious women, but then, the very next day gifting us a Court Date that will bring us to our boys for Christmas!!!!

Hope each of you had a good weekend as well!!!!!

CHRISTMAS IN ETHIOPIA!

Guess who will be spending CHRISTMAS with their SONS!  IN ETHIOPIA!!!  Yupper!!!  Jeff and I will be WITH OUR BOYS for both US Christmas as well as Ethiopia Christmas, which is January 8th!!!

We received word this morning that we have a January 3rd Court Date for our sweet "S!"  {Big Brother}

Kristen tried to call my cell this morning and when I didn't answer (didn't hear it), she called Jeff's cell.  He was walking into one of his hospitals and still had reception to take the call.  It was SO MUCH FUN for him to receive such a GREAT NEWS phone call!!!!  I have gotten all of the other calls, so this was a special treat for Daddy!  He was so excited to share the news with me, knowing it would lift me out of the "funk" I have been in since learning we would not get submitted to embassy until, most likely, December 28th.

Boy, did it EVER remove the heaviness in my heart, as well as the questions and doubt!!!  God had this beautiful plan in mind all along!!!!  CHRISTMAS WITH BOTH BOYS IN ETHIOPIA!!!!!

I cannot believe the details God has orchestrated!  Oh, YES I CAN believe it!!!!  Details that only God could bring together!

Jeff is already scheduled to have Christmas and New Years off this year!  I have vacation that I have to use this month ~ or lose it! ~ so I have time to get all the details together before we leave!

On top of this great news, we received today the I-171H form that show US government approval for a boy "Big Brother's" age!  We have been waiting for this for a few weeks now!  What a glorious day to receive it!!!  The blessings continue to pour in today!!!

Do you see how God coordinated Kaleab's embassy submission (and hopefully clearance!) to be right around Big Brother's Court Date!?!?!?!?!?  A.w.e.s.o.m.e!!!!!

All of this AND it looks like we will have time to visit BOTH boy's birth villages while in Ethiopia!!!!!

My heart is racing FAST with excitement!  I am OVERFLOWING with JOY!!!!

In pure amazement at our Heavenly Father!  How He coordinates so many details is beyond me.  I am just awed by all He has done, is doing, and will continue to do in our lives and in our family!

WE ARE COMING, BOYS!!!!  WE ARE COMING!!!!