Sunday School Today.

While in ET, sweet Sami told me how he loved the Sundays that he got to go to church.

My heart is full knowing that TODAY was one of those Sundays!

How do I know?  Because our sweet friend, Christy Shannon, whom we met while in Ethiopia in July, sent me a note letting me know that (after meeting Sami with our Vineyard friends Friday).....they saw him at church this morning!  Sami recognized them and greeted them on his way out from Sunday school.

It does this mama heart GOOD to know that Sami's heart is getting filled with God today!  And knowing that God is providing Sami with reminders of people who know us and want to shower him with love!  Hoping it helps him feel connected to us, and more importantly, remembered by God!

May your heart be FULL, sweet son!  I love you!

Must See!....Sami Video Trailer!

Dad used his great technological skills (that Mom does NOT have!) and made this sweet video trailer of Sami after returning home from Ethiopia in January.  He put together a variety of video clips we captured while in ET.  He then sent it over to me when I was still in ET so that I could download it and show it to Sami.  Sami LOVED it of course!  {big smile}

Can't help but show it to all of you!  Check it out!  It's short but sweet!

{Scroll to bottom of this blog and pause my blog music player, then return to the video and click the play button}

HE IS OUR SON!!!

WE AWOKE TO THE FABULOUS NEWS TODAY THAT...

 SAMI MARQUEZ 

IS LEGALLY OUR SON!!!!

WE PASSED COURT!!!!!  WE PASSED COURT!!!!  WE PASSED COURT!!!!

Yes, the Ethiopian Courts recognize Sami (pronounced Sah-mee) as OUR SON!!!  We are so OVERJOYED this morning that I cannot even sit still!!!  My heart is beating so fast and all the heaviness it has been feeling due to the court delays have been lifted!  My heart is light and DOUBLY FULL!!!

We feel SO BLESSED by the beautiful boys (on the inside and out) that God has gifted to us!!!!

"The Lord has done great things for us, 

and we are filled with joy." Psalm 126:3

Lord, your handprints can be seen all over our adoption story, and we cannot even begin to THANK YOU for this long, challenging, but on-so REWARDING and BLESSED path that You placed us on!  You have been with us every.single.step.of.the.way!  And you placed in our lives such amazing friends and family to walk alongside us!  We are humbled.  Awed.  Over the moon HAPPY.  And blessed beyond our wildest imagination!!!!!  Thank You, Lord!!!!

Though we knew that once the MOWCYA letter arrived, the judge said she would pass us, but we had NO IDEA WHEN that letter would be written or how long the judge would let our case sit on her desk.  We were floored, PLEASANTLY surprised and EXSTATIC to receive this news!

Oh, how I wish we could BE THERE when Sami learns that "YES!  YOU FINALLY PASSED COURT!!!  YOU ARE OFFICIALLY A MARQUEZ!!!!"  He should learn of this tonight as we sleep!

 He has written his name on the walls by his bed!

Sweet!

SAMI means "on high; exalted one."   Beautiful.  Just like him.  Just like his God-loving, genuine, caring, peaceful, joyful soul.  We are so IN LOVE with our son!  Our time together in Ethiopia was ever so amazing and it was fun to learn more of who he is with each new day!  

SAMI is the reason I had that dream near the start of our adoption process two years ago ~ HE is the precious second child God placed in my dreams to prompt us to be approved for two children!  SAMI is one of our children whom God planned for US from the very beginning!  


Sami and Kaleab are the TWO CHILDREN we feel God promised us four years ago on a trip to Colorado.  On our drive to Jeff's parents' prayed together about our fertility issues and our desire to become parents........and on that trip, shortly after our prayer time......we literally saw DOUBLE RAINBOWS!  Four different double rainbows in a matter of a couple of hours!  Rainbows ~ a Promise from God.  TWO!  We so felt He was telling us He had TWO special children for us!  And He completes His promise today!  Thank You, Heavenly Father!

Our house that was so quiet and yearning for the sound of laughter and children will now be FULL of TWO boys!!!!  Two precious boys that YOU planned for us from the beginning!!!!

AWED!  HUMBLED!!!  

and 

SO ETERNALLY GRATEFUL!!!!!

I am so excited to share his beautiful face with you, now that our adoption is legal!
 

Without further ado, I introduce to you our amazing older son, Sami........

Our Sami walking out to meet us as his parents!

 The first picture of the three of us TOGETHER!!! 

Our FIRST FAMILY PHOTO!

Brotherly love.

 My three boys!

 Momma and her sons!

Brothers Forever.

Family.  Cute expression, Sami!

Handsome.

Christmas in Ethiopia!

 Together as a FAMILY for Christmas in ET (Jan 2012)!

 Heaven.....

Dad and Sami.  Love this.

Having lunch together!

 BSU's newest fan!

I couldn't ask for more!.....

As we celebrate our SON today, know that we celebrate each of YOU as well!  THANK YOU for your continued prayers, support and encouragement along this journey to our boyS!!!!

What happens now?  We pray that the documents needed for Embassy submission are gathered efficiently, though it is taking roughly 5-10 weeks to do this.  Then, US Embassy will have 10 days to respond to us their plan for clearing us and inviting us to return to Ethiopia and BRING.OUR.SON.HOME!!!!

We are hoping Sami is HOME end of May our in June!


Sleep well, my son, resting in the knowledge that God has remembered you.  God has given you the family you shared you prayed for every day.  And He has given Mom and Dad a family that far surpasses anything we could have dreamed or prayed for!


God has blessed the four of us with each other.  He is the center of our lives and our family.  He is finishing what He has started!  He is going to BRING SAMI HOME!!!


We love you, Sami, more than words can say.  Sweet dreams, as you sleep, my son!  May you awaken to this fabulous news!  YOU.ARE.OUR.SON!!!!!

Dear Big Brother...

Dear "S,"

I miss you so.  My eyes well up with tears as I even begin to write this.  This.  This note that you may never see.  Or won't see until it is bound in a book and you have been home for some time.  Yet, still, I need to write it.  If, for no other reason that to feel closer to you.

It is snowing today.  It is March and it is snowing.  Welcome to Spring in Idaho.  Sunshine one day and snow the next.  My heart is saddened with the snow today, mostly because Dad and I thought for sure you would be home to enjoy snow for the first time with us THIS Winter.  Yes, there are many other winters beyond this one, but we were excited to share this one with you.

Kaleab is doing wonderfully well.  He misses you like we do.  He still reaches out and points to the pictures we have up of you.  We repeatedly say your name as he touches your face.  He still knows you, his ever-preciuos Big Brother.

I received some sweet pictures of your beautiful face.  You were playing with your buddy.  You look good.  Healthy.  Happy.  I pray that both are true.  I pray that you are genuinely happy, son.  I know that we are apart right now, but I hope that you know that you know that we are coming back to bring you HOME!!!!  Just waiting for mowcya to get their act together and for embassy to then grant us an invitation to come and get you!!!

I pray that as you lay your head on your pillow each night, that you can feel Dad's and my love.  I pray that you can feel God holding you.  I pray that you dream of Jesus every night and awaken feeling His love, and His presence.  Knowing deeper still who YOU are in Christ!  :)  I pray that you find JOY in each day. I pray that you see Jesus and feel His presence in a special way each and every day.

God is meeting me each day too.  He is letting me know of HIs presence through this waiting as well.  Just today I received a sweet note from a fellow AWAA adoptive mom.  We have never spoken or written to one another before today, but she reached out to tell me that God was putting me and you and our family on her heart!  She is praying for us and wants to become FB friends so that she can follow our journey more closely and know more specifically how to pray for us!

Isn't that AMAZING!?!?!?  Such a perfect example of God laying us on another's heart, to prompt the POWER of prayer.....and to ease my waiting heart with a gentle reminder that we are NOT forgotten by our loving God!  He remembers us, sweet son!  He is still working on competing what He has started.  Just as He meets me where I am at ~ on the good and the rougher days ~ I trust that He is meeting you in a similar fashion.  Reminding you that HE IS STILL IN CONTROL!  He HAS this!  NONE of this takes Him by surprise!  His plan is for our GOOD.  Even though it doesn't quite feel good right now.

OH, how my heart is OVERJOYED to have sweet Kaleab HOME!!!  EIGHT LONG MONTHS after referral and another 5 weeks of living in Ethiopia before we could bring him home!  I am praising God for completing this portion of our blessed journey of adoption!

Yet, amidst my overflowing JOY of having your sweet brother home, I cannot ignore the void that I feel.  The void that only YOU can fill.  The void that God created in my heart that has YOUR name on it.  Kaleab makes me giggle and fills my heart to overflowing, YES!  Absolutely!  It is hard to describe how my heart can feel so FULL and yet, at the same time,  a void remains.  That void that only you can fill.  Only you.  Kaleab has his own space in my heart that only he can fill too.  And as I enjoy experiencing the jubilation of his void being filled, I look forward to your space being filled by your presence too.

Our adoption journey to you two boys has taught me many life lessons.  It has broken and healed my heart in numerous ways  {all for another post another day}.  Being home, Kaleab is my daily reminder that God is working ~ even when we do not see Him.  That God's plan IS good ~ even when it does not feel good.  That God is ever-present ~ even when we cannot feel His presence.  That God is FAITHFUL to complete all that He starts.  And He heals the wounds of waiting with every day of being together.

I cling to these lessons learned.  And now, this extended wait on the phase of passing court, AGAIN, I lean into these hard-learned lessons.  I am challenged to dig deep.  The enemy is challenging my belief of these lessons, trying to get to me to fall back on my doubt and unbelief.

But!  I did, indeed, learned the TRUTH of these lessons this two year journey to you boys...and in my five weeks of loving on you and Kaleab in Ethiopia!  Their TRUTH is burrowed deep within my soul.  THANK YOU, GOD!!!!  Sure, I am tempted to fall back into my doubt and unbelief, but I am quicker now, to shake my head and replace those broken records of LIES and replace them with God's TRUTH.

And so, I wait for you.  And as I wait, I pray for you.  Daily.  I pray that God continues to reveal Himself to you in such a way that no challenge of the enemy will ever get you to doubt your Heavenly Father.  I pray that this journey home will be a healing journey for you as it has been for me.

I love you, "S."  With all my heart.  May you feel that across the seas.  May you see it in the stars at night and feel it in the sun's warmth by day.  May you never lose hope of your Dad and my return.  Of our life together.  FOREVER.

Be strong and courageous, son.  For our God is with you.  Everywhere you go.

Friend's Fundraiser

We have some dear friends, Rick and Connie, who are adopting two precious girls from Ethiopia!  And they are having a pre-sale onesie and t-shirt sale!  Check it out here!  They have both Ethiopia and China designs.

Also, if you are local, their Dinner and Silent Auction is being held this Saturday at 5:30pm at our church, Vineyard Boise.  Info on this is on their blog as well!  See you there!  :)

We Did Not Pass ~ a Third Time!

Ufdah. Breathe. 


Unbelievable. 


We DID NOT PASS COURT!!!! THIRD time of NOT passing!!!


MOWCYA did not have their letter there like they said they would. Supposedly they had trainings last week that got them behind on the letters.  Seriously?  How many trainings do they have to have??? 


Once the judge gets the letter she said she will pass us ~ we don't need to schedule another Court Date.  This is great news, provided that the judge prioritizes Big Brother's file once the letter comes to her office.  I hate the thought of it sitting on her desk for days......


Beyond frustrated right now. :(


Hoping you aren't tired of praying for our family and that you will continue to pray our sweet son HOME!!!!

On Our Knees

Ever feel like you are ALWAYS asking your friends and family to pray for you and your family?

Ever feel like you are on a roller coaster ride ~ a fun ride (most of the time) ~ but a ride with so many ups and downs you really think it would be great fun to be OFF and on solid ground again?

Ever feel so FILLED with love your heart is overflowing.......yet there is still something missing that creates a void in your heart?

That pretty much sums up where I am at today.  SO AMAZED by Kaleab and experiencing how my heart can totally overflow with LOVE for this sweet precious gift from God!  Yet, until Big Brother is HOME there is still a space of void in my heart.  In my life.  A space that only "S" can fill.  This void doesn't take away from the pure JOY of having Kaleab HOME at all, it's just that there still feels like something ~ someone ~ is missing.

Our third Court Date is WEDNESDAY!!!!  In a matter of DAYS Big Brother could become legally OUR SON!!!!  We could reveal his name and his beautiful face if we pass court!!!!

Asking, once again, for all of you to join us on our knees.  Praying that this.is.it!!!!  That Wednesday is OUR DAY to call our son OUR son according to the law!!!!

You should be waking soon.  Enjoy your day today, sweet "S".......may it be your last day of wondering if this adoption will really happen.  May it be your last day of wondering if Mom and Dad are really coming back for you.  May it be your last day of fitting the title of orphan.  May your hope of coming HOME......be soon replaced with KNOWING you are coming HOME!!!

I pray you already know deep down in your heart how much Dad and I love you.  And I pray that officially becoming a Marquez help instill in the depths of your heart the TRUTH that we ARE coming to bring you HOME!  Just as soon as we can, dear son.  Just as soon as we can!

Until then, may you carry within your heart the knowledge of our love for you, and even more importantly, the knowledge of God's love for you.  God has you safely tucked under His wing, sweetheart.  You are never out of His sight.  You are never far from His thoughts, as He completes your adoption details for us.

Waiting on Him...............and loving you every minute of the wait.

The Day After

The day after Kaleab's birthday.  I won't walk you through every present opened, but thought I would share some pictures of him enjoying the opening of some of his new toys.

 A little love for Daddy.
A bit tired the day after the party.

 Guess he likes the sounds of the animals!

 Helping Dadda open his caterpillar present.

 Intrigued by the dancing and singing dump truck.

His friend, Owen, asked his mommy if he could 

give Kaleab his toy dump truck.  Love O's heart!

 Quick break from unwrapping his presents.

So proud he helped push a piece through the hole!

How big is Kaleab?.....SOOOOO BIG!!!!

He is acquiring a love for books!  

Now if he can sit still for me to read them to him!  :)

He LOVES his new pal, Scout!  

Scout even talks to him saying his name, Kaleab!

He enjoyed unwrapping presents more than I thought he would!

OH, the music cube!  

ANYthing with music get him dancing!

Ufdah!  A bit tired after opening so many presents!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!  :)


THANKS TO ALL WHO MADE HIM FEEL SO SPECIAL!

KALEAB'S FIRST BIRTHDAY PARTY

Kaleab's first birthday party was a BIG HIT!!!

We had so much fun putting it all together!  And, yes, I did the typical first-time-mom throwing her first son's first birthday party thing.  I attended to every detail!  Ha!  {thanks for putting up with me, Daddy!}

I did a lot of the planning ahead of time during Kaleab's naps.  Found the recipes, created the menu, picked out decor ideas, etc.  However, as the party approached, I quickly learned how much SLOWER I get things done with my little peanut at my side!  Party or not, I would prefer to shower my babe with love over planning a birthday party any day!  Which I often did, resulting in not even starting our cupcakes until 7:15pm the night before the party!  YIKES!

We made banana cupcakes to stay with the monkey theme, but I had two different ideas for decor on the top ~ which meant two different frostings as well.  And once I get an idea in my head it is HARD for me to let it go!  Even when we hadn't started the cupcakes at such a late time in the game!

Jeff and I were up until 4am making cupcakes and getting the decor set up for the party.  It was late, but the adrenaline of knowing our sweet boy was HOME and we were having a party in honor of his birthday kept it fun ~ and kept us going.

Kaleab slept through all of this nighttime prep and awoke at 6am.  Bright and early.  Giving Mommy and Daddy 1 1/2 hours of sleep!  Schnikers things are different with pulling all-nighters when you have a baby! NOT complaining one iota.....just making an observation.  {insert smile here}  Jeff chuckled as he shared his thought of posting on his FB, "I don't think I have ever pulled an all-nighter.....BAKING!"  Ha!  But he has now!  He was a trooper of a Daddy, for sure!

We were blessed by all the wonderful friends who came to help us celebrate Kaleab!  And little peanut did wonderfully well!  Well, except when it came time to eat his first birthday cake......we all sang Happy Birthday to him and it kind of overwhelmed him.  Fifty some peeps singing and staring at him was just a bit much for the poor little guy.  Instead of eating and playing with his monkey cake, he cried.  {Luckily, he was immediately soothed once in my arms!}

Aside from that, though, he really had FUN and the party was a success!  It was a dream-come-true for Mommy here.  It seemed surreal that he was actually HOME and that we were finally having a birthday party for OUR SON!!!!

SO THANKFUL TO GOD for our wonderful gift of Kaleab!!!!

I will let pictures share the rest of the day!...............

This was framed and hung on our front door with ribbon

(taken on feb 25....his real bday...a week before)

The table as we were getting ready
(only real pics before the fun began.  bummer.)

Can't see the pretty glass jars of brown, white, blue candy on this table.
Elsewhere I had brie w/ crackers and fruit; meatballs (GONE in less than an hour!);
veggies and homemade dill dip; chips and salsa; and Taco Soup!

The topiary I made for decor ~ thanks to etsy!

K's monkey smash cake on the top of cupcake stand.

  Snapshot of the cupcakes before very many got eaten.

Cupcakes and topiary up close.

 I had fun making different faces on the monkeys.

Cute cupcake toppers I got from etsy.

 Kaleab's smash cake.  Not too smashed.
Maybe next year.

 Capturing some of the friends getting ready to sing Happy Birthday!

Not sure what to do with this monkey on his high chair.
OR why so many people are singing to him.

A bit more overwhelmed.....

 "Okay.  I'm done.  Mommy, please hold me."

 "Yes, Mommy even ordered this shirt for me from etsy.
Notice the blue and brown match the party theme.  Oi."

Daddy, Mommy and Kaleab.

Leftover cupcakes.

All in all, it was a wonderful evening celebrating sweet Kaleab with amazing friends!  Only thing that could have made it better would be to have had Big Brother in attendance.  Next year!!!