Another dog?

We already have five dogs, and that's plenty! But these German Shepherd puppies are soooooo cute. No, we didn't bring one home. Ha ha! Lisa and Iran bred their dog, Violet, and have nine puppies for sale. They are about four weeks old now and just adorable. We went to see them yesterday. I think Chris and Jonathan were ready to stuff one in their pockets and sneak out.

Positive thinking -- we WILL pass court next week!

I'm feeling better about things today and am pretty hopeful that we will pass court next week. IF we pass next week, Grace is going to do what she can to get us an August 13 consulate appointment so that we can still travel before Derrek's wedding.

If we don't pass and/or she can't get us an August 13th consulate appointment, then we will have to postpone travel until the second week in September. That would be a huge bummer and make me sad, but it's just the way things will have to go. If we can get an August 13th consulate appointment we can travel and be home with the girls for a couple of weeks before the big wedding date. If it gets pushed even one week, then it's too risky and we'll wait. We would be afraid that either 1) it would be too much activity for us and the girls to come home to a wedding a few days after our return or 2) we could have problems getting home and miss the wedding or 3) if we have any traveler's sickness we'll be sick for the wedding.

Derrek's wedding is on Labor Day weekend, so if we can't get an August 13th consulate appointment, then we'll wait until around September 6th (after the wedding clean up and send-off). Please say some prayers that this doesn't happen. I really hope we can go get our girls in August. I have a good feeling about it this time!

We didn't pass...

We did not pass court today in Ethiopia. Hope Adoption Agency's power of attorney to handle cases on behalf of Shimeliss, the director, is expiring this month so the court won't let any of Hope's cases pass. Shimeliss is heading to Ethiopia this weekend to try to straighten things out. Grace says we'll know something next Wednesday or Thursday.

I'm very sad and disappointed, but I guess not really surprised. I just had a feeling all along that something would go wrong and we wouldn't pass.

Rebecca

Siblings and Our Court Date

We can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps. Proverbs 16:9 (New Living Translation)

I sure hope the Lord determines that the next step in our adoption is passing court tomorrow! Seriously though, I have come to believe that everything happens for a reason and in God's own time. My perspective on life and on God has changed so much over the past couple of years. The change is a direct result of seeing how many times I have NOT gotten what I wanted (or thought I wanted at the time), or had to deal with something I didn't want to happen, only to have it revealed to me later that something great would come as a direct result!

I have been absolutely showered with so many awesome blessings in my life. Today my brother and sister have been on my mind a LOT! I am so lucky to have each of them, and I love them so completely and with all my heart. My brother is younger, but always seems to play the "big brother" role by taking care of me and watching out for me. He is kind, smart, hard-working, and such a great man and father. My sister is...well, she's a sister. And that pretty much says everything. She's my best friend and my biggest supporter, a great mom, and a smart career-woman. I can't imagine life without my siblings. I can only wish the same for my kids...all four and hopefully soon-to-be six of them!

Rebecca

Wow, this day just keeps getting better!

This is my third posting today! Our adoption coordinator, Grace, just faxed us the long-awaited medical profiles for our girls! We previously had only verbal information. These reports don't give us much more information than we already had, but it sure is nice to have them. Grace has been attempting to get these for us since the beginning of April. She just returned from a trip to Ethiopia (to bring home her son), and brought them back with her. We're thankful that she took the time to get them for us, even though she had much more exciting and pressing things going on at the time!

What a morning!

Wow, I'm really having a good morning, first the baby horse and now this... Nora has been really close to being able to write her own name, but has had a hard time with the R and the A. This morning we've been practicing, and now she can write her name ALL BY HERSELF! Check out this picture! She did this with no help at all! And she's only three years old (OK, almost four)!

It's a boy!

Born this morning, July 9! Isn't he adorable?


This mare is due very soon. Check her out -- she's as wide as a barn!

Is Goldilocks fat?

The mind of a child is truly an amazing thing! But never underestimate the conclusions kids can draw on their own!

Nora has heard the story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears several times. Pa (grandpa) tells her various versions of it, and for months she's tried to mimic the voice of Papa Bear. Her English has only just recently improved enough for her to "tell" the whole story. This afternoon she amazed me by telling me the whole story, and she even used a different voice for Mama Bear and Baby Bear (and whispered parts of the story for dramatic effect). She went through the soup, the chairs, and the beds. I was cracking up!

But here's the really hysterical part... She never called Goldilocks by her name, just "fat girl." She determined in her own little mind that since Goldilocks sat in Baby Bear's chair and broke it then she must be too fat! How funny is that? So as she was telling me the story she would say things like "fat girl in Papa Bear's bed" etc. At the end she said "THE END" very loudly and with a really proud smile on her face and then clapped her hands!

Have I mentioned lately that I LOVE my job as a stay-at-home mom? Thanks Tony! :-)

Rebecca

My Hope Friends

Today, my heart and prayers go out to my friends adopting through Hope Adoption Agency. Four families had court dates today, and all four of them did not pass and are rescheduled until July 18. Nobody knows what the problem was, but since nobody made it through, it was likely a power outage or new documentation requirement or some such thing.

Unless you've traveled this amazing and often stressful adoption road, you can't imagine what it's like counting down the days until your court date...knowing you could get "the call" and that child (or children) could officially be yours. And having to wait another sixteen days and count down to the big day again can just about send you over the edge. My heart aches for these families, and at the same time, I know it could easily be us in about a week and a half. If we don't pass court on July 11, we may not have time to get another court date before the courts close for the rainy season, which lasts about two months. That means our girls would be there until the end of the year.

I know it's important to have faith that God will bring our children home to all of us in His own time frame. I just hope he intends for it to be sooner instead of later! I will keep praying for my Hope friends and for us to pass court and bring our kids into our family where we can love them, nurture them, and hold them.

Officially a Minivan Mama

Well, we finally did it -- we own a minivan! We decided it was never going to work having three kids in car seats in a Jeep Grand Cherokee (and four in car seats when Summer is visiting). Now we just need to get Negate and Hmsala home so we can fill that van up with little girls! I must say, I really am in love with those automatic-opening sliding doors. :-)