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.

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.

Good News ~ Bad News

The judge reviewed our adoption case for Big Brother yesterday (Tuesday) and.........

BAD NEWS is the judge said we needed another (third!) Court Date for Big Brother.

GOOD NEWS is that instead of making us wait until mid April, she assigned us a Court Date of March 14th!!!  That is NEXT WEDNESDAY!!!!!

To add to this good news, our agency says they anticipate our passing on that day!  Finally!

So now we have an even BIGGER step out of the mud that has been holding us back in this Court phase!!!

We are praising God that the CD is so soon!  THANK YOU for your continued prayers that helped us get to this point!!!  And THANK YOU for continued prayers that this adoption, is indeed, finalized next Wednesday!  He could legally be OUR SON FOREVER in a matter of days!!!!

Can't wait to share his name and beautiful face with you all!  Hopefully and prayerfully in a WEEK!

Finalizing the adoption at the court phase will then move us onto the Embassy phase, in which our agency will be gathering important documents needed to be submitted to our US Embassy in Ethiopia.  While this gathering of paperwork used to only take two weeks, the trend is now 5-10 weeks!  Praying embassy submission can happen in five weeks OR LESS!!!!

God has this!  He can do this!  And we trust it will all be done in His timing!

Thank you for continued prayers for our sweet son's heart as he waits, for our Court Date next Wednesday,  and for expediency in the remainder of this process to BRING HIM HOME!!!!

GO, GOD!!!

Adjusting Well.

I always wondered what happened to those mamas that stopped blogging upon their return with their child or children.  Not that I didn't know that they were totally bonding and attaching and focusing on their child/ren, but I always thought I would try to stay up-to-date on my blog upon my return.  Oi.

Haven't been doing so great with that goal.

But for GOOD reason, as we really have been focusing on baby Kaleab and developing that trust, bond, attachment and love with our son!!!!

Things have been going amazingly!!!  The night we got home from the airport, Jeff got terribly sick.  That made the first day home very long for me with a sick hubby and jet lagged baby in a new environment.  But it all went well and Jeff was only sick 24 hours and was diving right in to help the next day!

Kaleab is such a GOOD eater!  He seriously eats anything I give him!  Oh, except we did find one thing, so far, that he does NOT like..........green beans.  His opinion about that is VERY clear.  He was wearing way more of them than he ate, before we gave up trying to convince him otherwise.  {insert smile here}

We have been trying to live out all we have learned from our Karyn Purvis trainings prior to bringing Kaleab home, and we really see it helping Kaleab to bond, trust and attach with both Jeff and me.  I will write more on that in my next post.

We are THANKING GOD every.single.day.  There are moments that I break out spontaneously in tears ~ my gratitude overflowing.  Literally.

I stare into this sweet baby's face and can hardly fathom ALL that God had to do to orchestrate bringing him into our family.  Not only did He orchestrate Kaleab's physical creation, but He had to divinely guide every detail that brought him to US!  Every thing that felt like a delay to us, was merely God guiding the perfect timing so that KALEAB would become OUR SON!!!......and Big Brother would become OUR SON!!!!

Incredible.  Speechless.

We are blessed by friends bringing over dinner every night since our return!  Can you believe it!?!?  I had no idea just how MUCH having dinner made for us would mean!  To not have to think about a menu, groceries and making dinner........wow.  That is all I can say, "Wow!"

So much to be grateful for...........

Big Brother Update

Inquired again about Big Brother......and was told that the orphanage says they should get the paperwork correction completed within the next two weeks!

Our agency is not sure if we will need a court date to get the judge to sign off and pass us (which could save us a couple of weeks!).

Praying that BB is legally our son in the next 2-3 weeks!!!!!!

Can't wait to share his name and pictures of his beautiful face with you all!!!!

Thank you for joining us in praying that this all happens in 2-3 weeks OR LESS!!!!!  :)

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!!!

KALEAB IS 11 MONTHS TODAY

HAPPY 11 MONTH BIRTHAY, SWEET BABY KALEAB!

As HARD as these past four weeks have been ~ okay the past two weeks, because Daddy was with us the first two weeks! ~ I have to say that I am SO VERY THANKFUL that I don't have to say that I have missed ANOTHER month of Kaleab's life!

I am sad that he is already 11 months old.  But on the same note, I am SO VERY THANKFUL that he is healthy and is on target with his developmental milestones!  THANK YOU, GOD, that our baby is healthy !!!!  And yes, he is growing!  I swear he has gained a couple pounds in the month he has been in our care at the Guest House!  Either that, or my arm is getting tired.  Ha!

Our sweet baby has just not been himself the past four days or so.  On Monday I took him to the kind doctor at the Transition House (where he lived before we got to bring him into our care) and she put hydrogen peroxide in his little ears and a saline solution up his nose, and asked me to bring him back today.  Which I did.

He is now on antibiotics.  His ear infection is full blown in his right ear. His poor nose expels the yucky green stuff we are all familiar with.  He is pretty fussy all day and just doesn't want to be let down.  Ever.  Can you blame him?

I sure don't mind holding my baby all day long!  Just wish he felt better.

On another note, I had to say good-bye to Katie Reaser, a sweet fellow AWAA adoptive mama who has been here with me.  THANK GOD they were finally cleared to take their sick baby girl HOME to Kansas yesterday!  I also had to say farewell to the Coulombe family.  They were here for Court for their 6 yr old daughter (they passed!), and return home tonight.  We visited our children together these past few days and have really developed a sweet bond with one another.  {LOVE how adoption families have an instant connection!}

Big Brother watched this last visit with their daughter, and like other times that people have had to depart after court or come to take their children home..........I've watched it stir emotions in our sweet son.  He has such a tender and loving heart!  He was asking who was leaving today.  He wanted to know specifically if their daughter was leaving with them.  I'm not sure if the fact that she was staying was a good thing or a bad thing in his little mind.

It provided me another opportunity to remind him of how excited we are to return to ET to bring him HOME!!!!  To remind him that we WILL be returning!  And that Mom and Kaleab will still be here to visit him daily for at least another week {this brought a smile to his stressed face}.

It also provided me further insight into how HARD our own personal departure is going to be!  I SO LOVE THIS BOY and I DO NOT want to leave him here!  Yet, I cannot stay another 2-3 months!  Oh, the tugging of my heart!  Such a dichotomy of feelings.  A grave dreadfulness of saying "see ya soon" to our oldest son, along with a strong desire to be HOME ~ in America, with Jeff, starting the transition with Kaleab, while also finishing Big Brother's room, finding the best school for him, etc.

Ufdah.  Emotions all over the board.  Think I'm gonna go FaceTime my hubby.  That always lifts me up....

DID NOT PASS COURT FOR BIG BROTHER

Shouldn't be surprised. 


Yet I am. 


Ppwk discrepancy wasn't corrected over these past THREE weeks....orphanage not feeling too rushed to correct it....so NO mowcya letter!!!!!! Email from Kristen said we will NOT PASS today. Heartbroken. 


"S" and I prayed over this together yesterday.  Dreading having to tell him "No, not this time.  Again."  Pray I can present it in a positive way.  I don't want his little heart feeling the devastation mine is.


THANK YOU for continued prayers. Some days I just have no words. :(

Day 1 - Trip 2

WOOHOO!  FINALLY!  Access to blogs!  I have been unable to get on my blog (or any others for that matter) since arriving here in Ethiopia!  For some reason today it is working.  I will begin posting about our time here day-by-day.  Before I start the first post, I must fill you in.

WE ARE IN LOVE WITH OUR BOYS!!!!  We feel SO incredibly BLESSED by these two precious souls!  God sure has blessed us beyond our wildest imaginations!!!  THANK YOU, JESUS!!!

Please keep us in your prayers:

1.  We did not pass court for Big Brother on Jan 3rd.  Paperwork issues.  Pray we pass Jan 24th!

2.  Kaleab's birthmom is scheduled for an interview with embassy THIS WED (Jan 18th)!  Please PRAY that all goes well with that so that we CLEAR EMBASSY for Kaleab!!!

3.  Jeff was here for almost two weeks, but had to leave us here in ET on Jan 12th.  Please pray for him as he is away from his family and for the three of us half-way around the world!  "Single parenting" in a third world country is definitely breaking me into parenthood at high speed!  God is good, and we feel covered in prayers!

I will keep you updated!  THANK YOU for your continued encouragement, support and prayers!!!!

This first post was written in the air on the way to our boys......................

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Daddy and I are in the air!  Flying to you.  OUR SONS!!! 

Connie, Rick and Emily were kind enough to take us to the airport yesterday (Wed, December 28^th)~ THANKS, guys!  We had a beautiful reminder of God’s presence covering our family story and our travels to you, by learning that United was going to WAIVE the $400 fee for the two extra bins we were taking!!!!  A surprise that moved your hormonal and emotional mama to tears!  THANK YOU, LORD!!!!

We left Boise and arrived in Denver for a couple hour layover.  We enjoyed talking with family and friends during this time, which helped this layover fly by.  And “S,” Daddy downloaded the Angry Birds game onto his iPad and my iTouch for you to play.  Let’s just say we tried out the game we are ADDICTED!!!  {chuckle}

We landed in Washington DC last night about 11pm.  Daddy convinced me to tried to stay awake through the night, in hopes that it would help us sleep on the L-O-N-G (13 hour) plane ride today.  We walked to a pub/grill, but it was SO smokey we just couldn’t muster walking in.  So, instead, we walked to a 7 Eleven, got ourselves some snacks and a cappuccino and took it back to our room in Embassy Suites.

It was a pretty hotel.  Even has two swans swimming in this pond/nature area!

Well, we lasted until about 2:30am.  We went to bed and got a highly restless 3 hours of sleep, if you can call it that!  I was so beyond excited knowing that we were ON OUR WAY TO YOU BOTH, that I could hardly stand myself, say nothing about staying calm and quiet to sleep!   {smile}

And here we are.  Eleven hours into our flight.  It has been a long one.  Just can’t seem to tell my brain to shut down.  Nor do I WANT to stop thinking of being together the FOUR of us!  The way it has been meant to be from the beginning!

Daddy and I have learned how to count to 10 in Amharic.  I have reviewed some of my flashcards of other Amharic words ~ don’t quiz me, though!  Ha!  I keep staring at your faces via pictures on my laptop!!!!  Next time I look into your faces it will be IN PERSON!!!!  AAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!

I wonder.  Kaleab, will you remember us?  How will you react when they place you in our arms again?  It has been a LONG  five months since we last held you sweet K.  My heart aches and my arms yearn to hold you!  But will it be a sweet reunion like it was on our first visit for Court?  What will you think when we take you with us to the Guest House?  How will you react when you realize that you are staying with US that night?  Regardless.  Easy or hard.  WE LOVE YOU!!!!  And we have been praying that God would gift us with the insight to what it is you need at every moment, sweet baby.

“S”…..we hope that AWAA has told you of our soon arrival!  We often talk of what it is you must be thinking.   And feeling.   We hope that pure JOY covers any fears you may have about leaving Ethiopia.  Daddy and I cannot WAIT to give you a great big hug!  OUR SON!!! 

Honey, we so KNOW that God orchestrated having you stand out to me so obviously as I was surrounded by so many children at your orphanage!  And now, as we are blessed to share time together as a family, I pray that God covers every single moment.  I pray that we can communicate to you how very MUCH you are already loved!  We can’t wait to have fun and play games with you!   We want to see where you live.  Where you sleep.  Where you eat.  Where you go to school.  We want to soak in all that we can about you!!!

My heart aches at the thought of having to say “see ya soon” to another son.  To you, “S.”  I pray and pray that God will let me leave the sad anticipation for such a time as that, and be able to just focus on every moment we have with you!  Who knows!  Maybe God will create a miracle that allows us to PASS Court on Monday and expedite your Embassy clearance so we can ALL FOUR COME HOME TOGETHER!!!  Excited to see what God has in store!  Whatever it is, I pray that God prepares your  ~ and our~ hearts for it.  Either way.

Well, babes, I cannot believe how CLOSE we are to being with you!!!! I wish I could just click my heels together and be there, sweep you both up in our arms and click our heels to bring you immediately HOME!

It has been a long journey, Yes.  And each one of you are more than worth it!  Daddy and I are both listening to our Christian music these last few hours of the flight.  Basking in His glorious story of our FAMILY.  Reveling in His miracles.  Praising Him for the TWO OF YOU!!!!!

Oh, how FULL my heart will feel to have you in our arms.  TOGETHER!!!!

Betta Seb!  Zeh-lah-lum!!!

Family Forever!!!!