Gods Gift in Ethiopia- Take 2!!!!! :)

Some very exciting news!!!

2008-09-05T10:01:00.000-07:00

Well, I am very sorry for the lack of updates in the last couple of months!!

We have had a bit of a change in plans.... I am pregnant with twins!!! Yes, this came as a major shock, but we are very excited about it! So, our adoption is now put on hold...We for sure want to do another adoption in the future, so Jada can have a sibling from Ethiopia.. just not sure when!!!

So, maybe I will update my blog on our pregnancy once in a while!?

:)

2008-07-17T06:34:00.000-07:00

Well, as of tomorrow, we will have not internet for a while... We are going to update what we have and get a faster connection. So, it might be a while for my updates. If anything really important happens, I will update from my parents house!

Well....well....well....

2008-07-11T13:45:00.000-07:00

Guess what showed up today???? 2 months late.... Low and Behold our fingerprints have found their way back home! I was totally shocked when I opened the mailbox.... Hmm...now we have everything we need, except for our Homestudy update which won't take long.

Given Up.... sigh.....

2008-06-23T20:23:00.000-07:00

So, I emailed our guy at the fingerprint place and he confirmed that the fingerprints were mailed to our correct address 3 weeks ago... So, I have come to the conclusion that they are lost somewhere between here and Ontario... Part of me just wants to hope that they will come and the other part of me just feels like not thinking about going to re-do them. What frustrates me the most is that we have to send them by Registered mail and then they mail them back by regular mail.. this makes no sense....

Hmmm.... not sure what to do.... We still do have to wait for other stuff, so it is not holding anything up, but we still do need them...

One year ago tomorrow....

2008-06-20T12:29:00.000-07:00

Our lives were forever changed with one glimpse of a beautiful, precious little girl named Yenenesh Tsegaye....

I wanted to post my entry from our referral day and the day after, just to remember that wonderful day!

Thursday, June 21, 2007

ITS A GIRL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Oh my word!!!! Marty and I found out this morning that we have a little baby girl! We are beyond excited and overjoyed!!!!!!!!! She was born March 2!!!!!!! Isn't she adorable!!! Thank you for your prayers!!!!!!!

Friday, June 22, 2007

"The Lord has done great things for us and we are filled with Joy!" Psalm 126:3

Well, now that my heart rate is slowly going back to normal after the excitement of yesterday, I would love to tell more about our referral day! I always enjoyed reading other peoples, so I want to share our little story!!

So, Marty drove me to work yesterday, which he rarely does b/c I am in the city, but he had a meeting, so we carpooled. I had said to him a few days ago that it would be so great to hear about our baby on Thursday b/c then we could be together, and we had talked about on the way yesterday!

Then, I get into my office and there is a note on my computer saying that Adoption Services had called WEDNESDAY at 9 am and I begin to panic wondering why I had not got the message from the morning before!! So, I run to talk to the secretary and she said that she knows nothing about it and that someone else took the message. So, with my heart pounding I call back and the lady on the other end says "we have a beatiful picture of your baby" and then I start to cry and say "what is it" and she says a "beautiful girl", and I am like "a girl"!? Then, I really started to cry!! Then, we talk for a bit more and I was writing stuff down, so I would not forget!

So, we got off and I called Marty and said come back to my work, we have our referral and they are sending it on e-mail!! Marty came back like 2 sec. later and we opened to the e-mail together and saw our daughter for the first time! Then, I called other important people, trying to get the words out we have have a baby girl!!Then, yesterday afternoon, we went to sign the official acceptance form... The lady said are you sure about this like 3x and I am thinking YES, give me the pen!!!!!

Wow, life can change so quickly and goes by so fast!!! We have had Jada home for over 7 mths. and sometimes we still can't believe it!

Thx for the support and prayers from family and friends, especially my fellow adoptive friends!!

:)

Ps... still no fingerprints...super annoyed, but lets not talk about that!

Wow, so on a positive note....

2008-06-12T19:47:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to post about something nice that happened today. So, totally out of the blue, we got an email from our Caseworker from IA, "just because she was wondering how we were doing with everything and if we had any questions.." Honestly, I was so suprised!!

It was such a nice email to get... Sometimes it is hard not to feel like just another family on the big long list. For those of us in the adoption agency world, sometimes it is easier to complain and be negative about them... So, just something nice! :)

"Supposed" to be one their way back to us...

2008-06-10T20:58:00.000-07:00

So, last week I got a phone call from the Fingerprint place to inform me that they fingerprints had been returned to them AGAIN... At first I was confused b/c we had given them the correct address....But whoever mailed them out to us for the second time used the legal address again. I was like NO WAY!!! So, they were calling to confirm our mailing address... (I had called them twice with it and Marty had emailed them!!!) So, they told me that it would be corrected and mailed out that day!

Honestly, I am not usually such a whiner/complainer/venter on my blog, but come on, these are employees of the RCMP....

Let you know when I have them.... If they show up!!!!!

the drama continues....

2008-06-03T19:33:00.000-07:00

So, still no fingerprints.... Basically they did make their way to Ottawa and were mailed back to us almost 5 weeks ago! However, they were mailed to our Legal Address instead of the mailing address... It is my fault b/c at the police station, everything was in the legal address, so under address I wrote that one in. It is not a real address, it is just a description of where we live. So, the post office here got it and mailed it back b/c of they did not recognize that address. It then gets back to Ottawa and it is sent again to our Legal address (after I specifically called there with the change in address!!!) I have told the post office here that it is coming and to call me and will come and pick it up....The annoying thing is that it is my fault and we would have had them weeks ago!! This has given me many headches with all the back and forth and phone calls! If only it was not so important...

Besides that pretty much everything is done! Our Social Worker is coming next week to update our Homestudy and then that is sent off to AB Childrens Services for their approval. That can take up to 6 weeks, but I am hoping for less (last time it was 3 weeks!)

I will keep you updated.......

Annoying....

2008-05-27T19:52:00.001-07:00

So, we mailed our fingerprints off via registered mail a month ago. We were given a tracking number, but I never even bothered to check it and then today I thought hmm.... maybe I should see what it says. Well, the online info says that it was not received at its destination.. So, I begin to panic a little bit (fingerprints are really important, and there are money orders in it, so the $ side of this kinda adds up).

First, I call Canada Post and they said that they will try to do a tracking on it and it can take up to 5 buisness days... The lady was really nice, but still I am kinda freaking out b/c I so do not want to redo all of it...

Then, I decide to call the RCMP fingerprint place in Ottawa and they were already closed. So, I am going to try again in the morning. The Post lady said that once in a while it is just not updated on the website, so I am hoping and praying this is the case.

Funny thing though, one of my lovely friends reminded me that all these "mishaps" happen for a reason... Leading us to the right baby at the right time! She is so right and I forgot all about that.... When I think back to the timing with Jada, somethings happened way quicker and somethings took longer than they were supposed to...But it all worked out perfect b/c of when Jada was born, when she entered the Orphanage and all the other stuff, which led her to being our daughter! So, in the big scheme of annoying things that happen, God has it all worked out!

However, I am still really hoping that they are there!

Prayer Request...

2008-05-25T08:35:00.000-07:00

I found out this morning that Steven Curtis Chapman's (Big Christian Music Artist) 5 yr. old daughter died on Wed. The little girls name is Maria and she was adopted from China... The family also has 2 other girls adopted from China. They are huge advocates for adoption and have a charity that helps families adopt from China and have done lots of other thing. Maria was run over in the driveway by her older brother, so a very awful accident.

I have been thinking about it all morning and I think that this family needs a lot of prayer....

Hmm... nothing to new to report....

2008-05-21T20:33:00.000-07:00

So, nothing majorly new on the adoption front.. I did Jada's name change the other day and got that certificate back, so now I am working on Canadian Citizenship forms and getting all the documents for that. Once we get that back, then I can apply for her Canadian passport! (Jada is still an Ethiopian Citizen as of right now and has an Ethiopian passport- which is actually really neat!) We are going to Mexico in Nov. for my sister's wedding, so I would like her passport for sure by then, so I have more incentive to take care of all of this!

Meanwhile, we are waiting for our fingerprints to come back from Ottawa, did the Dr. appointments/lab work, employer letters, ect...ect...ect...!!!! Next week, we are getting a bunch of other documents notarized... I am loving highlighting stuff off my list after it is done!

I have also just started a journal for this adoption. I did it with Jada and it starts with us officially deciding to adopt and ending with our last day in Ethiopia from picking her up... I am thinking it will be a very cool gift to give our kids someday!

Jada's Dedication/Mothers Day!

2008-05-13T18:59:00.000-07:00

Sorry, I am not sure why they are so small??!

6 months tomorrow!

2008-05-09T11:32:00.000-07:00

Well, tomorrow marks 6 mths. that we are arrived home with Jada! So, just for fun, I thought that I would post the email that we sent home the day that we met her... Such wonderful, tearful memories....

Hello Everyone!

We met our adorable, cute, beautiful, amazing JADA today!!! We were so nervous driving there and the second we walked into her room and saw her, our nervousness was replaced with tears of joy and complete hapiness!!! The moment was surreal and the best feeling in the world to hold and kiss and feel our daughter... We only got to stay for 2 hrs. and we miss her so much already! She did not cry and was very serious at first, trying to figure us out... But she put her head on my shoulder right away and would not let go of Marty's finger!

After about 1/2 hr. the nurse came to hold her and had her laughing and smiling like crazy!! She really started to show her cutie pie personality!!! She loves playing with our camera and loves the flash... Soon, Marty was lifitng her above his head and she was laughing and giggling so much.. it is the best sound in the world!!! She babbles, sneezes and sighs (I think she was bored with us!!)

She has 2 little teeth and is almost sitting up by herself!! She was very relaxed the whole time and so healthy, looking around and very curious as she reaches and grabs.. she wanted Marty's necklace and likes when I kiss her fingers!!

All the staff were telling us how smart and beautiful she is.. They told us we were very lucky and she is the guards fav. baby!!! She is so loved by the staff, they are so caring and thoughful and everyone knows her!.. The home is bright, cheery and spotless!!! I am hoping to sneak out a few more babies and hoping no one notices!!!!

We are going back tomorrow and get to keep her forever... we cannot wait for you all to meet her!!!

The computer won't allow us to send pics, going to try see if they can be put on facebook....

Love, Marty, Jill and JADA!!!! :) :) :) :) :)

You know when you are an adoptive parent when....

2008-05-07T22:07:00.000-07:00

1. The fact that there are 143 million children without a parent to kiss them goodnight has made you lose sleep.
2. You realize DNA has nothing to do with love and family.
3. You can't watch Adoption Stories on TLC without sobbing.
4. The fact that, if 7% of Christians adopted 1 child there would be no orphans in the world, is convicting to you.
5. You spend free time surfing blogs about families who have experienced the blessing of adoption.
6. It drives you crazy when people ask you about adopted child's "real" parents.
7. You have ever been "pregnant" with your adoptive child longer than it takes an elephant to give birth. (2 years!)
8. You had no idea how you would afford to adopt but stepped out in faith anyway, knowing where God calls you He will provide.
9. You have ever taken an airplane ride halfway around the world with a child you just met.
10. You believe God's heart is for adoption.
11. You realize that welcoming a child into your heart and family is one of the most important legacies you could ever leave on this earth.
12. You know what the word "Dossier" means, and you can actually pronounce it!
13. You have welcomed a social worker into the most private parts of your life.
14. You shudder when people say your child is so lucky that you adopted them, knowing full well you are the blessed one to have him or her in your life.
-Author Unknown

Friends!

2008-05-07T19:31:00.000-07:00

So, last week we went to the African Childrens choir at our church and LOVED it!!! They are so talented!

Along with seeing the choir, we met 3 other families with kids from Ethiopia! One couple got home a couple of weeks ago with their 3 yr. old son and the other 2 couples are waiting to travel very soon.. one to pick up a sibling group of 3! and the other to pick up a 7 mth. old girl! It is really great to make a connection with your families that have adopted and especially from Ethiopia...We plan on having a BBQ with them soon! We are really realizing the importance of having friends that have families like ours (for the kids and for us!)

The paperwork is going good... We handed in all the paperwork today that our local agency needs, so I am happy that is done... I love getting rid of the stack! I am still working on the paperwork for IA, but it is going fairly well... Today we went in to do our Dr. form and the lab work. Slowly, but surely it will be done!

Anyone have any good girl baby names that they are willing to share???!? We were talking about it the other day and cannot think of a girl name (or maybe 2 if we need!) Middle names are easy b/c it will be a family name and their Ethio name, but struggling with first names! Not that we need them now, but I like daydreaming about it!

Super Impressed...

2008-04-29T13:20:00.000-07:00

Well, we have been in touch with IA the past week or so and we have a new caseworker from last time.... I am super impressed with her!!! When we have to email and talk back and forth, it makes a world of difference if the person is good that you are dealing with! Our last caseworker was good too, but near the and, their were a few "issues" right before we left, so our new one is like a breath of frresh air!

I like the fact that we have done this once before and know the process and what to expect. Last time, we would learn every little step as we go, and now I can see more of the big picture! We got our go ahead from the AB government to update our Home Study, so I am really happy about that.. We still have to wait until June to do it, but that is o.k... Our Social Worker (we are using them same one as last time) is the amazing....and she is so on the ball with things, so I know that once it is done, she will send it off for approval right away.

Meanwhile, I can get all the other stuff ready, so once the Homestudy is done, we can mail it all off... I am looking forward to putting together the picture book.. last time it was all just me and Marty, so it will be much more cute this time with Jada in it! I think, next week we will do the Doctor visit, so that is out of the way too.. kinda dreading that! Anyways, I am not as "anxious" this time, but I still want it all done.. If it takes a year for referral like it is predicted, I want it out of our hands and in Ethiopia's hands!!!

Tomorrow night we are going to see the African Children's choir perform at our church! We are really excited about that, I know Jada love it... She LOVES to sing and dance. Plus, I think we will buy a CD or 2 that they sell, so we can play it in the house for our kids!!!!

All About Me!

2008-04-25T16:35:00.000-07:00

I was tagged by my fellow adoptive friend Jaclyn... Jaclyn and I were in Ethiopia at the same time and were together when we met our kids for the first time!!!

I am: very content
I think: a lot about our future kids!
I know: that we are doing what we are supposed to be doing, even though it is not always easy
I want: more space in our house
I have: a wonderful husband and beautiful daughter
I wish: International Adoption was not such a complicated, lengthy, expensive process...
I hate: how much racism still exists
I miss: being a nurse, sometimes
I fear: the unknown
I feel: satisified
I hear: Jada laughing on Daddy's shoulders
I smell: rice
I crave: a week in Cancun
I wonder: what life will be like in 10 years?!?
I regret: not buying cute pants for Jada the other day.. when I went back, they were all gone...
I love: when Jada says "mama" :)
I care: about the estimated 2.5 million orphans in Ethiopia....
I always: smile and tear up thinking about our referral of Jada and our first meeting
I am not: Independent
I believe: that God has a very special plan for Marty and I... and our family
I dance: with Jada to the radio
I sing: while I am driving
I cry: a lot more now that I am a mom!
I don't always: have enough patience...
I fight: rarely
I write: in a journal sometimes
I win: at baking the best banana bread!
I never: eat on a plane!
I confuse: my husband
I listen: not enough....
I am scared of: flying
I need: fufillment
I am happy about: having a daughter :)
I tag... Jody V, Lindsey T, Jenn (soon to be P!)

Check 2 things off!

2008-04-21T21:48:00.000-07:00

So, today we went in to get our fingerprints and police checks done... I was wanting to get that out of the way b/c it is sent off to Ottawa and can take 4-6 weeks to get that back. I love being able to check off the list of things that we need for our Dossier!!! It feels like each time you are getting closer and closer... to waiting and waiting....!! :) I am not quite as anxious as last time, but I would like to have it ready for when our Home Study is done b/c once that is back, I am much more oganized!

Oh, and we have for sure decided that we are going to ask for 2 kids this time! When we were in Ethiopia, we were hanging out at the Sheraton one day, swimming and we started talking about it and decided that when we came back, we wanted to bring home 2!! So, it is really exciting! Although, we are really undecided about age range and we want to make the max age.... We do enjoy the baby stage (Jada was 7.5 mth. when we came home), but know that there are tonz of toddler aged kids too... So, we are not sure if it will be a twin request or sibling request... Lots of different ways at looking at it... Our agency IA (Now Imagine Adoption, used to be Kids Link) is saying up to 12 mths. for referral of siblings under 3, so it will be a longer wait this time as well. With Jada our referral was in 17 days, so this will be a very good lesson on patience! We do have a couple of months to decide, so we are just going to keep praying about the age and talking about it!

I love the thought that God has our kids chosen for us already, and He has it perfectly planned out, so I shouldn't stress too much!

Wow, back on the emotional, unknown, crazy ride of International Adoption!!!

2008-04-15T22:23:00.000-07:00

Well, we are again doing paperwork... It feels like just yesterday that we were doing it for Jada's adoption! We basically have to start from scratch with everything and how soon we forget how much there is!

Marty and I have been talking about our second adoption pretty much since we were in Ethiopia last time! We knew that we for sure wanted to do it again, but wanted to wait a bit! Well, now less than 6 mths. have gone by and we are ready to start! In AB (it varies from province to province) we have to wait until our 12 mth. Post Placement Report (a write up that our Social Worker does about Jada's adjustment and development, how we are doing ect...) is complete and then can hand all the paperwork in... Our PPR will be done in June, and then we get the green light from AB Childrens Services!!

So, I am hoping to update my blog a lot more often as we go through another journey to get Jada a little brother or sister!!

Our Birthday Girl and More!!

2008-03-21T12:56:00.000-07:00

Beautiful Jada :) January Pics!

2008-01-26T11:55:00.001-08:00

Photo Shoot!!!!!

2007-12-06T19:06:00.000-08:00

Oppss.....

2007-12-05T19:25:00.000-08:00

I am very sorry about the lack of postings since we have been home... I am feeling guilty! Marty works from home, so he is on his laptop all day... Since it is a work computer, we cannot do any pictures on there and I am lucky to get on it to check my email! But we got some pictures taken last week that are great, so hopefully in the next few days, I can get to a computer and put them on here!!

So, stay tuned!! :)

Jada's first Dr. appointment!

2007-11-21T19:30:00.000-08:00

So, yesterday, we went and saw the Doctor! We are very luck to have an adoption specialist pediatrician that is here in Edmonton. She sees babies that have been adopted Internationally and knows all about it, as she has 2 adopted kids herself.

First, Jada was assessed by the OT (Occupational Therapist) to basically see where she is at. So, she observed her playing and then did a few different excercies with her... She did really great we were happy to find out that Jada is right where she should be for an 8 mth. old... the only thing that is missing is rolling over, but that is coming very soon!

Then we spent an hr. with the Dr... She is wonderful to talk to and asked us lots of questions about Jada. She was really impressed with how good Jada is doing and how is she is so so beautiful! Jada is in the 75% for height and weight!!!! Yeah! We will go back in 2 mths. for a follow up, but she had no concerns! She has to now has to do some routine blood blood and get her up to date on her vaccines.

Jada is (I think!) over her jet lag and settling in very nicely. She is always laughing and loves to play and be entertained, although she seems to entertain us for the most part! She is sitting up as of last week and is now eating baby food.. carrots, peaches, sweet potatoe ect..

It is wonderful to have her home and cannot believe that is has only been a few weeks that we have had her!!! :)

Pictures!!! Some of Ethiopia and some of home..in no special order!!!!

2007-11-17T12:27:00.000-08:00

HOME SWEET HOME!!!!!!!!!!!! :)

2007-11-14T05:20:00.000-08:00

HELLO!!! (First, I want to say that I was unable to update the blog in Ethiopia, so this is why such a long wait for an update, sorry!!!)

We are very happy to say that we arrived home on Saturday with our beautiful, outgoing, sweet, funny, smily, adorable daughter!! We had a great 2 weeks in Ethiopia and Jada is more than we ever imagined!!

We are having big jetlag issues, so once I am a bit more with it, I will post more on our trip, some pics and stories about JADA!!

Thanks so much for you prayers and thoughts!!!!

Love, Marty, Jill & Jada (who sat for the first time this morning!!) :)

We are leaving for Ethiopia today!!!!!

2007-10-26T07:52:00.000-07:00

Yes, the long awaited day has finally arrived! The Visa is in the pouch and should be at the Orphanage on Mon. morning. We will arrive in Ethiopia on Sun. and hopefully meet our amazing daughter on Tuesday!!!!

To be honest, this all feels like a dream, totally surreal that we actually going to Africa today!! We are very excited, happy, anxious and nervous!

Please Pray:

- For Safety with traveling
- Health for all 3 of us!
- Jada will attach/bond to us quickly
- An enjoyable first 2 weeks as parents and things will go smooth!!!!

THANK YOU!!!! :)

NEW PICS!!!!!

2007-10-23T15:13:00.000-07:00

Just when we thought she could not get any cuter!!! Please see the new pics on the side!!!!

Weekend in Jasper......

2007-10-21T19:12:00.000-07:00

Well, Marty and I were feeling super upset on Friday, so we decided that we needed to get away for the weekend.....So, we went to Jasper! It was really nice to get out of our baby infested house and be distracted by other things for a while. We had a "rule" of no talking about Jada or adoption, which I think was really good for us...although, we did cheat a couple of times!

It was a really nice break and we had lots of fun... Probably our last weekend away somewhere with just the 2 of us for a long time!!

No Visa....

2007-10-19T07:13:00.000-07:00

I just reveived an e-mail stating that Jada's Visa did not arrive today... We are very sad and wondering why it is taking so long.... It is very difficult knowing our daughter is in an Orpahange and not knowing when we can go and get her. It is very stretching on our faith, but know that God is in control and has the perfect timing and plans for us.... This is the hardest thing so far that we have dealt with during our process.... Please pray for all 3 of us!

Being at Home....

2007-10-17T19:40:00.000-07:00

Well, first off I am wondering, is it just me, or has this week been the longest week ever in history???!?!?!??!?!?

So, I am done work and at home.... I am enjoying it, but to be 100% honest, I am a little bored... I have done some packing, but it is kinda hard to pack a lot of it, until you actually are leaving! Jada's stuff is all packed and a lot of other stuff, but not really our things....

I have done some baking, cleaning, shopping, ect...ect... So, I am getting a bit of a feel of what it will be like being at home, but I know it will be very, very, different when Jada is at home and could be crawling and getting into everything very, very soon!! I try to imagine what it will be like when she is home and I cannot wait!!!!!

We are praying and hoping so bad for Friday.... I will keep you posted! :)

Sigh....sigh....sigh....

2007-10-12T09:43:00.000-07:00

No visa for us today.... So, hopefully next week will be our week...... Today is my last day of work, so I will have lots of time to clean, organize, cook, pack...although I have been doing that this past week, so hopefully I can occupy myself and not go too crazy.

FYI- Jada is 7 mths. old today.....

I have been tagged....

2007-10-10T13:19:00.000-07:00

Lisa, my fellow adoptive friend has tagged me! FYI- Lisa's beautiful daughter and my beautiful daughter share a room right now and their cribs are side by side! Hopefully they keep each other company as they are waiting for us!

My tag info.... (something fun to distract me from thinking about Jada non-stop!!!)

Jobs I have Had: (In no special order...)
-Cashier at IGA
-Admim. Assistant for MLA
-Sold Ice Cream in a booth
-Nurse on a Rehab Unit
-Camp ground office Assistant

Places I have lived:
-Edmonton
-Sherwood Park
-Sydney, Australia (for 6 mths in 2005!)
-Stony Plain
-Sexsmith

Food I Love:
-Macaroni and Cheese (Comfort Carbs!!)
-Thai
-European Chocolate
-White Chocolate Brownie at moxies
-Butter Chicken with Naan bread

Places I'd Rather be:
-ETHIOPIA with my daughter!!!
-Cancun
-Texas hanging out with Jenn (with Marty and Matt too!)
-Thailand
-Right this minute...home, not work!!!

Movies I Love:
-How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days
-I am Sam
-Mona Lisa's Smile
-The Notebook
-Bourne Movies

TV Shows I Watch:
-Survivor
-Prison Break
-Friends (all the old re-runs!)
-ER
-The Batchelor

Books I Love:
-The Hiding Place
-Little Women
-Adoption Stories
-The Bible
-Hmm... gotta think a bit more...

People I am Tagging:
-Jenn J.
-Jaclyn P.
-Lindsey T.
-Danielle S.B
-Colleen P.

Bless the Broken Road....

2007-10-08T08:49:00.000-07:00

As Marty and I were driving this w/e we were listening to a bunch of music and this song came on.... I have always liked this song and it is not to do with adoption, but as we were listening to the words, we realized that it could be! It is so true about us to our daughter!!

I set out on a narrow way many years ago
Hoping I would find true love along the broken road
But I got lost a time or two
Wiped my brow and kept pushing through
I couldn't see how every sign pointed straight to you

Every long lost dream led me to where you are
Others who broke my heart they were like northern stars
Pointing me on my way into your loving arms
This much I know is true
That God blessed the broken road
That led me straight to you

I think about the years I spent just passing through
I'd like to have the time I lost and give it back to you
But you just smile and take my hand
You've been there you understand
It's all part of a grander plan that is coming true

Every long lost dream led me to where you are
Others who broke my heart they were like northern stars
Pointing me on my way into your loving arms
This much I know is true
That God blessed the broken road
That led me straight to you

Now I'm just rolling home
Into my lover's arms
This much I know is true
That God blessed the broken road
That led me straight to you.

"Be glad for all God is planning for you. Be patient....and prayful always." Romans 12:12

I guess today is not the day......

2007-10-05T08:09:00.001-07:00

So far no call from our Agency, and I think they would have called by now if the Visa was at the Orphanage....Last night I told Marty that I had a feeling they would not call this morning and he said he felt the same thing, so I kinda felt prepared in advance. It is still depressing, but I am trying to not be too down b/c there is hopefully next Fri....

If we had not got the call, we had decided we were going to Marty's family for Thxgiving this w/e. So, we are leaving this afternoon.... It is such a long drive, so I want to try to make it as enjoyable as possible. We usually talk about our next adoption to distract us from the current one, so that can take up lots of the drive!

Well, hopefully news will come next week... Thx for the continued prayers.....

I wonder if tomorrow is the day?!?!?!?

2007-10-04T12:14:00.000-07:00

Well, tomorrow is Oct. 5, which is the earliest that we were told that Jada's Visa could arrive at the Orphanage and we could go to Ethiopia to finally pick her up! So, it is hard to know how to feel... On one hand, I really don't want to get my hopes up b/c it could be very disappointing, but on the other hand I want to stay positive too. The good thing is that if it is not tomorrow, it would hopefully be next Fri.... Every hour, I am closer to my daughter and that is what is important.

On another note, I had my first Baby Shower!!! My work gave me a lovely shower with lots of decorations, food and wonderful gifts!! It was very exciting to get more stuff for Jada and for my work to do something so nice for me!!

Well, I'll keep you guys updated on what is happening... Praying that it is tomorrow....

"Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you.... "

Psalm 143:8

Four Things...

2007-10-01T09:15:00.000-07:00

There are some adoption blogs that I read every day and this morning, on one of them was this little poem and I really liked it.. Some very interesting points!!!

Four things I thought about adoption when I was a child--

I imagined it might be cool to be adopted by someone really rich (you know, in those moments when my mom wouldn't spring for those Calvins I had my eye on)--
I imagined what I'd do if someone left a baby on my doorstep--
I couldn't understand how anyone would ever be able to relinquish a child--
I thought it might be neat to adopt a child myself someday

Four things I've learned since then--
That adoption issues are incredibly complex--
That most birth mothers have their children's best interests at heart and are doing their best with terrible circumstances--
That there are huge numbers of kids in the world waiting, many of whom who will never have a family--
That the privilege of adoption has been an incredible blessing to my family

Four annoying things people have said to me about adoption--
How much did they cost?--
Do you have any real kids?--
Didn't their real mom want them?--
Are they sisters?

Four things that are hard about adoption--
Waiting--
Waiting--
Realizing that many people would have been able to parent their own biological children if only they'd had the right support at the right time.--
Facing your child's grief and loss issues, and feeling sad when you can't make all their sadness go away.

Four ways my adopted children have surprised me--
With how soon they began to ask adoption-related questions--
With their resilience in the face of huge upheaval in their lives--
With their similarity to me in various ways--
With the way they have completely and utterly captured my heart

Four things I wish everyone knew about adoption--
That getting educated about adoption issues is way more important in the long run than worrying about the paperwork.--
That there are millions of awesome kids in the world just waiting for families--
That the funding will come if you just jump in and do it--
That parenting adopted kids is just as miraculous and wonderful as parenting kids born to you.

Praying for Friday!!!!!!!!!!!!! :)

False Alarm!

2007-09-25T11:13:00.000-07:00

So, lately all that I think about is getting the phone call telling us that we can go and get Jada! Usually families get the call on Fri. morning, b/c that is when it arrives at the Orphanage.

Well, the past few mornings I have woken up thinking that I hear the phone ringing and no it is not ringing, it is all in my head (I am a little concerned that I am going totally crazy!!) So, this morning I was getting ready for work and then the phone rang (it was 7:30 and nobody ever calls our house that early), so Marty looks at me and says "do you think..." and I say "no, it is impossible..." Of course we were both thinking "the" Visa phone call... This all reminds me of when we were waiting for our referral (AKA the call!!)

So, it obviously it was not that phone call, but good practice for us!!!

Sigh..... next time!! :)

HURRY UP.......

2007-09-24T13:27:00.000-07:00

So, I am feeling a little anxious..... I want my baby NOW!!! I am feeling very inpatient today!! We are ready. We just want to get there and be with her!!!! (Haven't we waited long enough?!?)

* "An anxious heart weighs a man down…." Proverbs 12:25 *

(This is exacely how I feel today!!!!)

A more positive fun post will follow soon- it is just one of those days!

Tears... and lots of them!

2007-09-20T07:58:00.000-07:00

This song came on, on my way to work and I cried my eyes out.... Just wanted to share the words!

Martina Mcbride - In My Daughter's Eyes

In my daughter's eyes I am a hero
I am strong and wise and I know no fear
But the truth is plain to see
She was sent to rescue me
I see who I wanna be
In my daughter's eyes

In my daughter's eyes everyone is equal
Darkness turns to light and the world is at peace
This miracle God gave to me gives me strength when I am weak
I find reason to believe
In my daughter's eyes

And when she wraps her hand around my finger
Oh it puts a smile in my heart
Everything becomes a little clearer I realize what life is all about
It's hangin' on when your heart has had enough
It's giving more when you feel like giving up
I've seen the light
It's in my daughter's eyes

In my daughter's eyes I can see the future
A reflection of who I am and what will be
Though she'll grow and someday leave
Maybe raise a family
When I'm gone I hope you see how happy she made me
For I'll be there
In my daughter's eyes

"Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see..." Hebrews 11:1

2007-09-18T09:39:00.001-07:00

So, God been truly amazing during our entire adoption process with how faithful He has been.....

After following His guidance to adopt from Ethiopia, Marty and I decided to take the leap of faith!! We felt a huge amount of peace from day one knowing that it was His plan for us!

Many, many things have happened "differently" than they were supposed to and we know that it is God working on our behalf...

Some examples of Gods Hand in this....Our Homestudy and write-up only taking a few weeks (can take months), Provincial Approval in 3 weeks (was supposed to take min. 6 weeks), our referral for Jada came in 17 days after our paperwork arrived in Ethiopia (was supposed to take 8-10 weeks), making it through the courts before the closure (were told there was a "slim chance" that we would make it through)....ect...ect...ect!!!!

I could go on and on with so many cool things that have happened, but I am sure you are catching on that everything has gone quicker than it was supposed to.... (Although looking back, it did not always feel fast at time!!)

I am writing all about this b/c I am asking for prayer for the final part of the process... Jada's Visa!!! I have decided that I am going to step out in faith (kinda scary sometimes!) and specifically pray that we will get the phone call to be able to travel by Oct.5.

We were given Oct. 5-19 as approx. travel dates, so it may be later than the 5th, but why not pray for the earliest date???

So, Please pray with us for Gods Hand to continue to move and provide the Visa to be at the Orphanage by Oct.5!!!!

Thank you!!!!

Ps.... I would love to know who is praying, so feel free to leave us a comment!!!!

Jada's Laundry, Hair Products and "Are we there yet....?"

2007-09-17T08:51:00.000-07:00

So, on Sat., we went to an African American Hair Salon down town to buy Jada some hair products! We cannot use "our" shampoos on Jada's lovely locks b/c they are all alcohol based and will dry out her scalp and break her hair... So, we need special AA products for her! So, I bought baby shampoo, conditioner, and a leave in spray conditioner/detangler! We are only supposed to wash her hair once a week, but condition every second day... So, I cannot wait to use them!!! This is a great salon and also do braids, weaves ect., so I am sure we will be going there a lot in the future and I am so glad that I found them!

Last night I had the pleasure of doing Jada's laundry and organizing her room and closet! (How is it that this girl has way more clothes than I do!?!?!?!?!??!?!!) I have been waiting to wash her clothes and organize and everything just b/c I did not want it sitting there for months and months!

So, I have quickly learned that I love the smell of baby detergent, love her little socks, love her little jeans, basically love anything that has to do with my daughter! I am sure that the novelty of doing her laundry will eventually wear off, but I never want to take for granted that I get to do the laundry of this beautiful little girl that God has chosen to bless me with! I feel so lucky!!!!

The good news is another week is here and that means that we are another week closer to going to Ethiopia. The Medical form is supposed to be mailed off today to Nairobi, so I hope that it gets there quick... I guess it can take 1-10 days to get there with Courier, so I am hoping for less than 2 days!!!! It's kinda funny how different the African mail system is so different than our efficient, quick, reliable system!!!

Pray, Pray, Pray!!!!!! :0)

Jada's Medical is done!!!! :)

2007-09-13T13:22:00.000-07:00

Today we found out that Jada had her Medical Appointment this week!!! The Dr. will be mailing off the form to Nairobi on Mon! (I am guessing that the Post Offices are closed b/c of the New Year Celebrations!?)

So, along with that info came Jada's updated height and weight!!!!! I am happy to report that Jada is growing very nice!!!

Now, last, but not least all that we are waiting for is that VISA!!! So, I hope that in a short amount of time, I can let you know that we are leaving to get our baby!

Last night we had a get together with our adoption group and it was so wonderful to tell people that we are leaving soon! When we first joined the group, we did not even know about Jada and now here we are, talking all about going to pick her up!!!

Please, please pray that the Visa will be issued in record time!!!! (God loves to show us how faithful He is!!!!)

6 Months Old!!!

2007-09-12T09:36:00.001-07:00

Today our little Jay-Jay is 6 months old!!! (Her new BD date!)

We hope and pray that we can be with you on your 7th Month Birthday!!!!!

We love you so much Cutie pie and are coming as fast as we can!!!!!! :) :) :) :) :)

Happy New Year! (sorta)

2007-09-11T11:55:00.000-07:00

So, Ethiopia runs on a whole different calendar than we do... Today is the Ethiopian New Year and today it is the year 2000 for them... Yes, thay are 7 years behind us! On Jada's Birth Certificate, it says she is born in 1999! Then, on the next line, it does say 2007 in the English part, but kinda funny!

Anyways, the Government Offices close on Thurs. and Fri. b/c of the Celebrations...Annoying b/c we need them to be open!!! I have learned since we started our adoption back in Dec. that I cannot freak out over small things, like offices being closed, or I would go crazy... But it is hard at this point being so close to be able to go and get Jada!

So, I am hoping that the medicals are done by today or tomorrow and then sent off... If not, it will probably delay things a bit, I am guessing? Please pray that it will be done this week!!!!

Thank you :)

Medical Forms arrive from Nairobi!!!!

2007-09-09T20:40:00.000-07:00

So, late Friday afternoon, we go another e-mail from our Agency with more great news! Jada's Medical Form had arrived in the "pouch" (all important documents come to the Orphanage in the pouch from Nairobi) This is another big step b/c that means that Jada will go for her apppointment this next week! The appointment is standard and is too basically double check that Jada is healthy to travel!! After the appoinment is done, the form will be sent back to Nairobi and then the final stage is the VISA!!!

The completed visa is then sent in the pouch to the Orphanage, the Orphanage contacts KL and then they the call us saying we can go!! The pouch only arrives on Fridays, so we would be notifed on a Fri. and hopefully fly out, like that second!!! We are advised not to book until after that phone call, so that is what we are going to do....

We are still being told 4-6 weeks until travel time as of last Fri....Everything takes time!! (Well, mostly the back and forth between Nairobi, which is Kenya, a whole other country!!)

Please pray that the medical can be done early this week, so it can be sent off soon and please pray that the Visa will be issued within a couple of weeks!!! God has done so many amazing things for us and we have total faith and trust that He will continue!!!

*Up next* Jada's updated height and weight from her appointment!!!

Passport, Birth Certificate & Court Order!!!!

2007-09-07T11:05:00.000-07:00

Well, this morning we received via e-mail the copies of Jada's Passport, Birth Certificate and Court Order! I had been waiting b/c we knew that they were supposed to be coming, so I was really hoping they would come before the w/e!!!

So, first with her passport, unfortunately, the scanned copy is not the clearest, but we can still see our little (or shall I say BIG!) cutie pie! Jada is looking as beautiful as ever with her super chubby cheeks and her growing hair!! It is so cool to see our last name on her passport!!!

Next is the Birth Certificate! Jada now has a different/new Birthday! It seems very common to get different days on the referral than the birth certificate, and we are supposed to go by the birth certificate. So, her new BD is March 12 (it was March 2 before), so she is a few days younger! I love that under "Father" and "Mother" is me and Marty's name!!! Yeah!!!!

The copy of the Court Order is basically the legal document stating that the Ethiopian Judge is allowing us to be Jada's parents. It has all the official stamps and signatures and stuff, so it is cool that we get a copy of it!

So, they still need to do Jada's medical and then do her Visa, but we are getting closer and closer!

Marty called the travel agent today and we got some good flight info and that made it feel even more real that in the next (?) weeks we will be on a plane to Africa to pick up our daughter!! There is nothing that I hate more than flying and I have never wanted to get on a plane soooo BAD!!!!!

Tomorow we are going to buy a high chair and video camera for our trip!!!!

Thank you for your prayers!!!! :)

Immigration News!!!

2007-09-04T10:37:00.000-07:00

Today I went on the Immigration Canada Website to check the status of Jada's Paperwork. I had not checked it in a few weeks, so I thought maybe it would have changed/been updated... It has said the exact same thing since May 11, so I was beginning to wonder if they had forgot about us!!??

Well, her status has changed! Up until now, it sayed "unnamed child" and now it says Yenenesh (her Ethiopian name) Martin and then our last name! Yeah, our daughter has our last name!!!! The reason she has Marty's name for now is for legal and traveling purposes (I think?!) No, this is not her name, but still really cute! It then said that they are processing her paperwork, so they have recieved her passport and birth certificate! Now, they will send the medical form off for her appointment and then once they recieve that back, they will issue her visa!!

So, this means that things are happening over there!! Yeah Immigration Paperwork!!!!

Good News!

2007-08-31T12:08:00.001-07:00

Jada's Passort and Birth certificate have been received by the Orphanage! So, what happens next??!?!?

1. Medical files to be sent from Nairobi, Kenya to the Orphanage.
2. Jada to be taken to a Physician to have the medical forms filled out.
3. Medical forms sent back to Nairobi
4. Visa to start being processed
5. Visa complete and sent to Orphanage
6. Jada's Daddy and Mommy are notified and get to Ethiopia ASAP!!!!!

All of this could take up to 9 weeks, but could be less, it depends on so many things...

Thank you for your continued prayers!

Rollarcoaster Ride Continues....

2007-08-29T19:35:00.000-07:00

Well, as Marty and I have learned from early on during this process, International Adoption is full of uncertainties that are completley out of our hands....

We have recently learned that our timeline for travel that we were originally told, has been increased. Nothing is set in stone, but it is an approximate. It has nothing to do with our agency or us, it all is stuff happening over in Ethiopia and their offices.

So, the reason I decided to post this on the blog, is to ask for prayer!! Please pray for Jada's passport and birth certificate to be issued soon and for the Visa to be processed quick, as that is the final step prior to travel. We know that everything will work out in God's perfect timing, but at times it can be difficult to be here not being able to do anything, when our daughter is over in Africa!

We are still hoping to travel in Oct., but please pray that it will all go smoothly!

Thank you :)

My friend saw Jada last week! :)

2007-08-24T09:05:00.000-07:00

Well, last week, one of my fellow adopting friends had the pleasure of going to pick up her son, who was in the exact same place that my Jada is!! Unfortunately, she was unable to take pictures due to the rules, but she still got to see her!

So, she said that Jada was sleeping, but is so beautiful and looks so healthy! It is very comforting to know that someone got to see her and that she really does exist!! (I had a really bizarre dream that we went to get Jada and she was a cat... I know super crazy weird!!!!!)

My friend said the Transition Home is super clean and very, very nice. It is colorful and bright, which is so great for the kids.. The caregivers are very loving and care a lot about our babies! There are also rocking chairs in each room, so the babies are rocked, which makes me happy that they are held and comforted. I am praying that Jada will be a cuddly, huggy baby!

It is nice to know that although Marty and I cannot be with Jada, she is in wonderful care, until she can be in the best place (with us!)

"Approx." 45 days to go..... Can time please speed up!?!?!?

5 weeks today since our court date....

2007-08-20T13:00:00.000-07:00

Well, the countdown continues..... Hopefully in no more than 7 weeks from now we will be in Ethiopia with our Jada! We should be getting an update in a couple of weeks with a scanned copy of her passport and birth certificate, so I look forward to seeing her little passport picture!

At that point, we will probably book our plane tickets, but need to have a bit of a flexible date b/c of the unknown day of the visa being issued.

I bought lots of cute, girly outfits for her while I was visiting my sister in Texas and we bought pink paint for her room yesterday, so that will be our little project for this week! We are slowly getting things all ready for her! We wanted to wait a bit, so it gives us something to do while we "patiently" wait!

Sorry about the lack of postings lately, not a whole lot new to say.... But when we get any new info, I will post it right away!

The quote on my desk calendar today "God may seem slow at times, but He is never late!"

Update Photo!!!

2007-08-09T17:40:00.000-07:00

Please take note of the new picture of our daughter!!!!! She is in a total boy outfit, but that is often how it is, they get what they get!!

She is still just as beautiful and cute!!! :)

Getting Closer Every Day!

2007-08-02T10:17:00.000-07:00

Well, today our cutie pie is 5 months old!! In some ways, time really does go by fast and on the other hand, it feels like forever since we have found out about our daughter!! We are supposed to get new pictures soon and updates, so that will be really nice... We are doing some shopping, but not tonz until we know about her size abit more. I am on holidays right now, so I am sorry about the lack of postings! If we hear more, you will hear more!

74 Days.... (Not that we are counting!!!)

2007-07-26T14:07:00.000-07:00

Well, last night we started our countdown! For some reason, 74 days seems like a lot more compared to saying about 10ish weeks or beginning of Oct... Also, b/c we do not know for sure the exact day that we leave, this is the longest amount of time that it "should" be.

Unfortunately, timelines do change throughout the whole adoption process, but so far God has truly gone above and beyond our wildest dreams with everything taking place, so hopefully He will continue to surprise us with His amazing timing!

Tomorrow night we are going out for supper to the Ethiopian Restaurant with my family, so we are excited about that! Hopefully they will like it!! I am going to take my camera, so we can show Jada in the future how excited we were to experience Ethiopian Culture before we even had her with us! I have also started scrapbooking about the adoption, which is so not like me, but it gives me something else to do while we wait and it is turning out pretty nice!

Starting tomorrow, I have 3 weeks off, so I am also super excited about that! We are going to do Jada's Room, so that will be fun... I cannot wait to decorate it super girly (Naturally we are painting it PINK!!!)

I am also going to Texas in 2 weeks, so I am going to buy hopefully lots of American Baby stuff ("retail therapy" during the process as my fellow adoption friend calls it!)

So, August will be busy and then Sept. and then finally the long awaited OCTOBER arrives!!!!! We often talk about the moment when we get to see her and hold her in our arms... It makes me teary just the thought of it and can't believe how much we are so in love with this precious child that God has chosen for us!!!!

One Week Down!!!!!

2007-07-23T09:02:00.000-07:00

Yeah!! :) It is one week today since we found out that our little Jada is really ours!!! So, this means that we are getting closer every day to going and meeting her and bringing her home!!

We do not know exacely when we are going and we won't really know, until all paperwork (Jada's passport, birth certificate, medical check-up, visa..ect) is done over there. We are going to tentatively book tickets, but it may change, we will know more as we get closer to that time. It will probably be the first week in October and we are thinking of going for about 2 weeks. We will be told along the way how things are processing, so we will have a pretty good idea!

In the mean time, we are hoping to stay busy by doing her room and shopping, so hopefully time will fly by!!!

* "Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart" Psalm 37:4 *

* We are so thankful to God that He has such wonderful plans for Marty and I....He has planned the most amazing children to be part of our family and He has truly given us the desires of our hearts!!! We cannot wait to see what He has in store for us....We are thinking it will be a beautiful multicultural family! :) *

Celebrating Jada!!!

2007-07-18T07:53:00.000-07:00

Well, last night we went over to my parents to celebrate with my family that we made it through the court date and that Jada is now ours!! My mom is so great, she made macaroni and cheese (my absolute favorite) pork tenderloin on the BBQ for the boys and lots of other yummy stuff.... The supper was all our fav. things! Oh, and of course lets not forget the great dessert!!

It was so nice to be able to celebrate that we now know when we will be going to get her!!! I also really, really appreciate my familes support and prayers...

My mom has been so, so wonderful! She has listened to my non stop adoption talk from day 1, encouraged me during the many, many waits, cried with me during the hard times of the unknowns, and now celebrates with me, my daughter and her first grandchild!!!!!!

Thanks mom!! I love you :)

We Had Our Court Date and Made It Through!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2007-07-16T11:24:00.000-07:00

YEAH!!!!!!! We got a call this morning saying that our court date was today in Ethiopia and it was successful!!!!! We are sooooooo happy and sooooooooooooo excited!!

What this means is that Jada is now "legally on paper" our daughter!!!!! So, this also means that we get to go and pick her up hopefully the last week in Sept.!!! Immigration now does her visa and passport and that takes 10-12 weeks to do over in Nairobi....Once that is done, we are over there ASAP for finally get our baby!!!

Thank you for your prayers!!! God has been so faithful to us during this whole process!! He has shown us over and over and over that we can trust HIM!!!!

**Jada**-- we are coming soon!!!

All in God's Time...

2007-07-13T10:12:00.000-07:00

Patience.... Patience.... Patience....

Waiting.... Waiting.... Waiting....

Trusting.... Trusting.... Trusting....

The good news is, is that some of my friends that I have "met" online that are adopting with our agency have gone through court recently! The bad news is, we are still waiting for ours to go through and wondering when we will hear the good news... I am glad to hear that they are going through b/c that means the court dates are happening...

We may have had a court date, maybe even a couple, in the past little while, but it may not have gone through... In order to go through, they need the paperwork, the right people there and everything to go smoothly for the judge to stamp that piece of paper... If after 3 tries it does not go through, then the Ministry steps in and it will go through, but they have to allow a few "tries".....

I am feeling a little sad, a little blue and a little anxious, but I can still trust God 100% and know that He has the best timing and we have faith in His perfect promises... During this rollarcoaster ride of emotions, I love, love, love the fact that I have beautiful daughter and she is waiting for me!!! We are falling more in love with her every day and I know that I was chosen to be her mommy....

Please pray for our court date, our daughter and us.... (We need it too sometimes!)

Thank you :)

Our brown eyed girl....

2007-07-11T09:38:00.000-07:00

Well, nothing new to report.... We are still "patiently" waiting to hear about our Court Date... I have been in touch with our agency, but it is very hard to know if we will make it through before the closure. Please, please pray that we will have a successful date before they close for 2 months on Aug.4...

The good news is, we will probably get some new pictures of her in the next few weeks, so that will be very nice! We have her all over the house, so some new ones would be great to add....I am sure that she is changing so much.

"May the Lord watch between you and me when we are absent one from the other."
Genesis 11:49

Ethiopian Food!

2007-07-08T21:50:00.000-07:00

So, this weekend, we went to an Ethiopian Restaurant! We went with some other adoptive families through our IAFA group! We had never tried it, so we were excited to see what it was like! It was a great experience and we really enjoy getting together with our adopting families!

In Ethiopia, they do not use forks/knives or plates and neither did we! Everyone eats off one platter of various foods (beef, chicken, lamb, veggies, spinach, beans, cottage cheese ect...) and we "scoop" it with something called injera. Injera is like a spongy, thin, sorta sour pita bread style and you break off a chunk and use that it get your food. It was actually really fun to do and we really enjoyed it!

We will for sure be o.k eating this while we are in Ethiopia! It was a neat experience and we for sure want to go there with Jada in the future!! :)

Travel Package!!

2007-07-04T10:20:00.001-07:00

Yesterday we received our Travel Package from our Agency! It has a lot of great info in it for when we get to go and pick up Jada! Getting that in the mail made it feel a lot more real, stuff about flights and what to bring for the baby.... I had fun highlighting last night! Now if only we knew when we were going!

Please, please, please pray for a successful court date... We are not told when it is, so it could be today, tomorrow, next week, or next month... it is very important for our adoption process and could really delay things if not successful the first time around!

Very small things can let it not go through, so please pray that all the correct paperwork will be there and that the people we need to be there, will be there, and the Judge will o.k us to be Jada's parents! Once we are through with that, we will know when we are leaving... Which at this point could be around beginning of Oct...

Thank you very much!!

Our Jada is 4 months old today!

2007-07-02T13:14:00.000-07:00

We miss you, we love you and we are sending lots and lots of hugs and kisses..... Hoping we are there very, very soon to hold you and bring you back home where you belong ... :)

My feelings and thoughts today.....

2007-06-28T09:43:00.000-07:00

I found this poem on another blogsite....Read it, it is really good!!

As a girl I had a common dream, to be a mom someday.
My baby would have eyes of blue and hair the hue of hay.

But now my dreams have been transformed. New visions fill my head.
Now the tresses that I long to stroke are raven black instead.
And in my dreams those eyes are not so big or blue or round.
Now in my dreams they're beautiful and colored cocoa brown.

And in my dreams my arms can stretch across enormous seas.
They reach half-way around the world and hold you close to me.
And in my dreams the moment that your birthmother says good-bye,
I'll be right there to comfort you and hold you as you cry.

Our features may not look alike; we're different as can be.
But still I know the Father has created you for me.
And though I've not yet touched your face, or held your tiny hands,
and though we're half a world apart in very different lands,

I'll be right there to get you just as soon as God allows.
But ’til He says the time is right I give to you this vow.
I'll pray for your protection every day on bended knee.
For God to hold you in His arms, until you're here with me.

Some Interesting Facts on Jada!

2007-06-26T09:08:00.000-07:00

1. Jada is the youngest baby to be adopted into Alberta as of right now!

2. Jada currently weighs 10 pounds!

3. According to the information under language spoken, Jada speaks "babble"!

4. Jada enjoys being held, rocked and carried! (Which is great b/c that is what she will be
getting lots of!!)

5. Jada is the most beautiful baby that God has ever created, but that was obvious, right?!?

Yes, I am a very proud mommy!!!!! :) Let the PINK shopping spree soon begin!!!!

Introducing our Daughter!!!!

2007-06-24T21:58:00.000-07:00

We are very happy to announce our baby girl's name:

JADA COLLEEN YENENESH

Reasons for our name Choices.....

Jada- A name that we just really like

Colleen- my lovely moms name

Yenenesh- her Ethiopian name that means "you are mine" (which I love)

We are so excited to be to able to share her name!! Thank you for all the wonderful comments, we really appreciate them :)

"The Lord has done great things for us and we are filled with Joy!" Psalm 126:3

2007-06-22T09:05:00.000-07:00

Well, now that my heart rate is slowly going back to normal after the excitement of yesterday, I would love to tell more about our referral day! I always enjoyed reading other peoples, so I want to share our little story!!

So, Marty drove me to work yesterday, which he rarely does b/c I am in the city, but he had a meeting, so we carpooled. I had said to him a few days ago that it would be so great to hear about our baby on Thursday b/c then we could be together, and we had talked about on the way yesterday!

Then, I get into my office and there is a note on my computer saying that Adoption Services had called WEDNESDAY at 9 am and I begin to panic wondering why I had not got the message from the morning before!! So, I run to talk to the secretary and she said that she know nothing about it and that someone else took the message. So, with my heart pounding I call back and the lady on the other end says "we have a beatiful picture of your baby" and then I start to cry and say "what is it" and she says a "beautiful girl", and I am like "a girl"!? Then, I really started to cry!! Then, we talk for a bit more and I was writing stuff down, so I would not forget!

So, we got off and I called Marty and said come back to my work, we have our referral and they are sending it on e-mail!! Marty came back like 2 sec. later and we opened to the e-mail together and saw our daughter for the first time! Then, I called other important people, trying to get the words out we have have a baby girl!!

Then, yesterday afternoon, we went to sign the official acceptance form... The lady said are you sure about this like 3x and I am thinking YES, give me the pen!!!!!

So, to answer some questions that we are getting....

We will probably be able to go and the baby in Oct., at the earliest... There is a lot of things that needs to be done in Ethiopia before we are allowed to go. The court date is the next step and that is really unknown...That is necessary to make the baby "legally" ours. The courts close for all of Aug. and Sept., so we really, really need to make it through before they close. If we don't make it through, we will probably not be able to go until atleast Jan.... So, we will know more about that in the next few weeks... Please pray that we will make it through!!!!

Yes, we have a name, but are going to wait a few days to share that! We are going to see Marty's family this w/e and want to let them know first!!

Well, that is all for now.... Thank you for you comments and prayers, we really appreciate them!!!!

:)

ITS A GIRL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2007-06-21T08:11:00.000-07:00

Oh my word!!!! Marty and I found out this morning that we have a little baby girl! We are beyond excited and overjoyed!!!!!!!!! She was born March 2!!!!!!! Isn't she adorable!!! Thank you for your prayers!!!!!!!

Two Weeks Today....

2007-06-18T07:44:00.001-07:00

Well, it has been 2 weeks today since our file has been in Ethiopia.... In some ways, it feels like we have been waiting for our referral forever and on the other hand, it feels like we should be doing more paperwork and not be at the waiting stage! We are hoping and praying that it will be very soon (like today!!) and then we can officially "accept" our baby (sign the acceptance papers).

Then they can continue on with all the stuff that has to happen over in Ethiopia before we can travel... the babies passport, visa, medicals ect...ect... None of this can be started before we accept the baby and have a succesful court date to make the baby "legally" ours... Who knew that so much would have to be done??!?

On another note, we have finally chosen names!!!! Yeah!! :) Marty and I have been talking about names for ages, and had a list of about 5 names for each, so it took a while to decide! We are going to keep it a secret for now, but once we have that beautiful picture we'll be very happy to share!!

Please continue to pray for our adoption process!! Thank you :)

"Patiently" waiting for that call!!

2007-06-13T10:35:00.000-07:00

Hello!

So, no news yet, as far as our referral goes... It could be today, next week, or next month! We really have no idea!! The Director of our Agency was just in Ethiopia last week and things usually happen quicker when she is there, and she usually comes back with some referrals, but who knows if we are one of them... We have no idea where we are at as far as the "list" goes... There could be tons of families ahead of us or we might be next!!!!!

I was also thinking this morning that we also have no idea what number they will call... They could leave a message at our house, call either of our cell phones, or our work numbers.. So, this morning I told Marty that if they call you do this and if they call me I'll do that... It is so funny to plan all of it, b/c it will probably happen when we least expect it and I'll be so excited and crying so hard that I'll forget what I want to ask them and when can we come in and sign the papers!!!

Anyways, that is all for now! We'll keep you posted!!

:)

IAFA Picnic....

2007-06-11T10:12:00.000-07:00

Hello,

Well, it's Monday.... Up until very recently I hated Mondays, especially the morning!! Now, I wake up thinking yeah, another week for things to progress with our adoption.... Will it be this week that we hear something?? Hmmm.... we really never day to day what will happen!

So, yesterday was the picnic and we are so glad that we went...There were 2 other families there that had adopted little girls from Ethiopia, 1 family that adopted from Haiti and lots of families that adopted little Chinese girls! We met 2 other couples that are also adopting from Ethiopia and are pretty much in the same stage that we are. So, it was so nice to able to talk to people in such a similiar situation as us!

Even though they are total strangers, you feel like an instant connection with them b/c of the adoption. They also have a playgroup that meets every second week, so I look forward to going to that in the future..... An Ethiopian Support group is also going to be starting soon, so that will be really nice for us too!

It was comforting to be surrounded by these families and adorable toddlers, just seeing the end result of it all. What a great reminder that there will be a wonderful end to the craziness of the paperwork, meetings, ups and downs and the waiting....waiting.... waiting!!!!

:)

IAFA...

2007-06-08T08:00:00.000-07:00

IAFA- International Adoption Families Association!

Marty and I found out about this Organization from our Edmonton Agency and thought that we should join. IAFA is a group of families that are either in the adopting process or have children that are home that they adopted. It is supposed to be a great support network for us as parents and for our child(ren)! They have different events like picnics, playgroups, and various get togethers throughout the year for familes in the Edmonton and Calgary area.

So, there is a picnic this Sunday and we are going to go! Our families and friends have been great, but we feel like we need to make some friends/get to know some other families that are in the same position as us. We do not know anyone that has adopted (especially Internationally), and I think we need that support. Also, it will be a great resource for lots of different things!

We are really looking forward to it!

Ps.... ~ Yeah, that is one week down, hopefully only a few more until we get our referral!!! ~

Baby Stuff!!!

2007-06-07T07:44:00.000-07:00

Last night, Marty and I went to my Cousin's house to get some Baby stuff.... She was wanting to get rid of it, so I said that we would be happy to take it off her hands!!!

So, we got a really nice basinette, an almost brand new car seat, a blue sling (which will be great for traveling in those airports!), a little thing that the baby can sit in and it vibrates (I have no idea what it is called!), and a little dome thing, which is great for shade and no bugs while we are outside!

We are excited about getting the items, since we have basically nothing... But once we get that referral, the baby shopping can "officially" begin!! It made it feel a bit more real that we will soon have a baby in our house.... It is different with adoption b/c there is no pregnant belly that people comment on or a due date to ask about... So, the little things along the way are a nice little reminder to me that we will soon have a baby in our arms and not just in our hearts ~ ~ ~

OUR PAPERWORK IS IN ETHIOPIA!!!!! :)

2007-06-04T09:44:00.000-07:00

O.k, so after not hearing from AB Children's Sevices on Friday, I was totally sad/mad and assumed that it had not been sent.....

So, this morning, I asked Marty to call and ask when they plan on sending it.... and we find out that it was sent last Thursday and I am like ahhh... why didn't they tell me?!?!?!?!? I guess now they notify our Ontario Agency to let them know and not us!!

Then, I get an e-mail this morning to tell me that our paperwork has made it to Ethiopia already!!! It got there sooo quick!!!!!

Next thing is our phone call!!!!!!!!!!!! I honestly cannot believe that we are at this stage and that our precious baby will soon have a name and a we will have the beautiful picture of him/her!!!!!

Please pray that things will continue to go smoothly during this next phase!! Thx :)

"O Lord, you are my God; I will exalt you and praise your name, for in perfect faithfulness you have done marvelous things, things you planned long ago."

Isaiah 25:1

:( :(

2007-06-01T13:49:00.000-07:00

So, I have not heard from AB Children's Services and it is 3:00 on Friday afternoon.... So, I am assuming that it was not sent today b/c we would have been notified.... So, now we will not hear until atleast Monday, which really sucks...

Oh well, that is how adoption goes, always a rollarcoaster ride of unknowns that is all out of our hands...

Hopefully Tomorrow....

2007-05-31T10:22:00.000-07:00

Hello,

So, tomorrow our Paperwork is supposed to be sent to Ethiopia, so I am really hoping and praying that it will sent off tomorrow! We are also supposed to be given the Fed-Ex number, so we can (very closely/probably obsessively!!) follow its journey there!

Our Paperworks Journey:

Edmonton --> Tennesee --> Frankfurt --> Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (the capital and where our baby is currently waiting for us!)

So, it is quite the process!!! Hopefully tomorrow, I'll let you know that it is sent!! :)

It is supposed to take about 5 days to get there!

Getting Closer!!

2007-05-29T09:51:00.000-07:00

O.k, so I had a weak/inpatient/need to know what is happening kinda moment this morning and I called Alberta Childrens Services... You know just to "enquire about our file". So, I found out that they received all of our paperwork from Ontario on Friday afternoon and they are planning to send it by this Friday to Ethiopia. There are 2 other families from AB (I am in touch with one of them!) at the exact same stage and our files will all be sent together to the Orphanage!

Once the Orphanage does the referrals (medical reports with blood test results, Social History/any other info on the birth parents, and a picture!!) they send it to KL in Ontario and KL then sends it to Edmonton. It is then reviewed by AB Childrens Services and FINALLY they will call us!!!! ( I am not sure if they will call me or Marty , so it should be very interesting how it all goes!)

Then, we go into their office to review all the info and sign the acceptance papers!! I told Marty this morning that I will probably be crying my eyes out with joy in that office, but I am guessing they are very used to crying, very happy parents!!

Before we can send the official acceptance papers, a Special Adoption Pediatrician (she is in Edmonton) has to review the medical report and lab results and sign it.

So, this is what we have to look forward to in the coming weeks and then a bunch more paperwork, and legal stuff to follow (most of this is done in Ethiopia).

:0)

I Love this Poem....

2007-05-28T10:22:00.000-07:00

Once there were two women,
Who never knew each other.
One you do not remember,
The other you call "Mother."

One gave you a nationality,
The other gave you a name.
One gave you the seed of talent,
The other gave you an aim.

Two different lives shaped to make yours one;
One became your guiding star,
The other became your sun.

One gave you emotions,
The other calmed your fears.
One saw your first sweet smile,
The other dried your tears.

The first gave you life,
The second taught you to live it.
The first gave you a need for love,
And the second was there to give it.

One gave you up,It was all she could do.
The other prayed for a child,
And God led her straight to you.

And now you ask me through your tears,
The age old question through the years;
Heredity or environment -which are you a product of?
Neither my precious, neither;Just two different kinds of love.

-Author unknown

Dossier on its way back to Edmonton!!!

2007-05-25T08:04:00.001-07:00

Yeah, I got an e-mail yesterday from KL to let me know that our Dossier was back from Ottawa and they are all done with it (translation, verifying, authentication ect..) So, it was put in the mail yesterday to come back to AB Childrens Services! Now, they write one more letter (I cannot believe the paperwork that an adoption requires, it is crazy and never ends!!!!!) and then send it to Ethiopia.

Once, it reaches Ethiopia, it has to be authenticated (again!) by the Ministry of Womans Affairs (MOWA) and they have to approve us as well before it is sent to the Orphanage.... Then we are "officially, officially" waiting for THE PHONE CALL (our referrral!)

So, I am hoping that by the first or second week in June it will be at the Orphanage, but we will have to see how everything goes!!

Please pray- *nothing will get lost in the mail, *that we will be approved by MOWA, *our paperwork will be at the Orphanage soon, and of course for our *precious baby*!!!

Thank you :)

Immigration....

2007-05-22T13:28:00.000-07:00

So, on Friday we got some Immigration Canada Paperwork... Basically our Agency had filled most of it out (thank goodness, it seems confusing!) and we sign it, and send it back, along with a payment.... Nothing is ever free with adoption, we have learned!!!!!!

On the paperwork is asked who will be immigrating over and it states "unknown, unnamed child"... It is interesting that is says that, and I thought to myself hopefully not unknown or unnamed for too much longer!!!! I think most of the immigration paperwork is done prior to us going to get our baby, that way there "should" be no hassle when we go through customs! Then, when we come home, we apply for AB Health Care, Social Insurance #, change of name...ect...

Our dossier is still in Ottawa as of today, but it should be returning soon and making its way back to AB for a quick layover before the long, very important courier journey to Africa!!!!!!

Our Dossier is in Ottawa!!

2007-05-17T07:55:00.000-07:00

I got an e-mail from the our agency last night!!! KL is finished with our file and it was sent to the Ethiopian Embassy and Foreign Affairs yesteray.... So, it is now being translated and authenticated. That should be done by early next week (I guess it is a fairly quick stage) and then sent to ACS! It will then sent by courier to the Orphanage and we are waiting for our referral!!!

Referrals right now are taking 1-8 weeks. It varies so much b/c it depends on your baby request and who is at the orphanage at that time. So, this means that we could have our referral as early as beginning of June up to end of July. Of course we are hoping for ASAP to make it through court before the closure, but we'll see what happens.... It is all in Gods hand's and timing, and we trust in His Will for us and our little family!

I am so glad that things are progressing and we are getting closer and closer to our baby!

Thank you so much for your prayers, please keep them coming!!! :)

Hmmmm.... Waiting....

2007-05-14T10:29:00.000-07:00

So, I e-mailed KL just to see what is up with our file, since we have now given them all the paperwork as of last Thursday... They e-mailed back saying that "hopefully by the end of this week", our file will be completed (on their end) and sent to Ottawa. Then, it should be in Ottawa for about a week and then sent back to KL and they send it back to AB, for its final destination, Ethiopia!

I am hoping and praying that it will be sent this week... I have now discovered that I do not like weekends b/c nothing is done in the adoption world!! I have also discovered that my normally patient self, has recently become very inpatient!!!!

"Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage, yes wait for the Lord."
~ Psalm 27:14

Provincial Approval!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :)

2007-05-07T20:35:00.000-07:00

Well, yesterday we got a wonderful surprise!! Marty came home from work and I was waving to him from the living room window and from the car, he held up a registered mail delivery notice! I knew that was how we were notified for our approval, so I ran to out the car and said do you think it is it?!? So, we went right back into town to the post office and yes, got a lovely package from the AB Childrens Services! It is a letter stating that we are approved to adopt a baby from Ethiopia!!! We were both totally shocked that we got it so soon b/c we were told it would be a 6 week wait and it has barely been 3 weeks!!!

So, what happens now??

I called our Agency in ON this morning and got the details.... We need to send them more a few more documents, but that was basically ready, so Marty is going to send it all off via Courier today....Then, they put together all the documents in a nice little package and send it to the Foreign Ministry and Ethiopian Affairs in Ottawa where they translate and authenticate it all. (this is supposed to take about 1-2 weeks) Then, it is all sent back to AB and ACS send it all off to the Orphanage in Ethiopia! Once, it is in Ethiopia we are matched with a baby! Right now, it is only taking a few weeks for that match, so that is super exciting!!!!!

We then have to do other things after accepting the match, but I'll wait until we are at that stage to explain it!

IMPORTANT PRAYER REQUEST: The courts close August 4, and b/c we got our Provincial Approval a lot sooner than we thought, there is a "slight chance" that we could possibly get our case heard and done before the closure, if not, it would be October at the earliest.... This is so, so, so up in the air and is very unpredictable b/c it depends a lot on the timing of our referral and acceptance, the days of the courts, if the birth mom shows up ect...ect....ect.... So, please, please pray that things will continue to go smooth and that everything will fall into place (quickly!!) It will make a difference of about 4 months, so that is huge when we are here and our baby is in Ethiopia. Thanks!

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and petition with thanksgiving present your requests to God and the peace of God which transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus." Phil. 4:6-7

Court Closure....

2007-05-02T09:56:00.000-07:00

Some new Info...

After we accept the referral of our baby, the next thing that happens it there is a court case where the baby becomes legally our child. It can complicated though b/c the birth mother is given 3 chances to come to 3 seperate court dates weeks apart. If she does not come by the 3rd time, the Womans Affairs Minister steps in on her behalf. So, it can be weeks before it will actually go through in court. This has to be done before the visa and passport can begin to be processed, which takes minimum 8 weeks and is done in Nairobi, Kenya...

So, every year for 2 months, the Courts close in Ethiopia for Holidays.. It is never the same time from year to year and I found out this morning that this year it is closed Aug 4- Sept 30. This will really affect our adoption.... We will probably get our referral in August, so we will have an extra wait for quite a while for the courts to re-open and ours to be heard.... Of course they will totally be backlogged b/c there will be lots of adoptions needing to be heard.

We were aware of the closure, we just did not know when it would be... It is a bit discouraging/depressing that they are closed exacley when we need them to open, but it is just the way it is.... We are still really hoping & praying that we are home by Christmas with our bundle of joy, but it is so up in the air how things will go....

The peaceful thing through all of this, is that God has chosen a very special woman to carry our baby and a very, very, very special baby will be placed in our arms when it is His perfect timing....

Our Dossier made it safe and sound!!

2007-04-25T12:31:00.001-07:00

Yeah!

I got an e-mail this afternoon from our Caseworker (whom is so Great!!) in Ontario to tell us that our package made it to the Agency! So, we are very happy about that!

She also said that she thought our picture book was wonderful and we have such beautiful pictures! We had to make a scrapbook/photo album with 10-20 pictures of our life, family, home ect...with a bit of a description, that will be sent to the Orphanage.... I am soooo NOT a scrapbooker, and I was really unsure if it was o.k, so I am so glad that they liked it :)

"Be glad for all God is planning for you. Be patient....and prayful always." Romans 12:12
(this is the verse on my little desk calendar today... How very fitting)

We are Home!

2007-04-23T20:29:00.000-07:00

Hi,

Well, we are home from Australia and had a really nice time.... The wedding was really beautiful and we finally met our new Sister-in-Law! It was great to be back in Sydney where we lived for 4 months last year, and wonderful to catch up with some friends! I would like to post some pictures, so maybe I'll do that this week some time!

So, this morning I called our Agency to double check (just in case, it never hurts to ask!) that they sent our HS Assessment Report to the Province for their Approval and yes, it was sent last week, so that is really good news! It takes 6 weeks, so we have 5 left to go, not that I am counting!!

Marty and I made an important trip to the Post Office today to mail off our Dossier (all the important papers/documents that we have been gathering over the past few months) to our Agency in Ontario!!!! This is a huge step and honestly I was very happy to see it go! However, I did say a prayer that it will make it there safe or sound!!! (Thank goodness that I can use the tracking # and track it on line for the next few days, just to ensure its very save arrival!)

Our Agency will now begin to read our Dossier and check for any mistakes or errors on the various items. There is usually a couple things that need to be corrected, so we'll see how we did with it all! They will begin to process it once we hear that we are approved by AB, so probably end of May.

So, that is the little update for now :)

~ Off to Australia for Jeffrey's Wedding ~

2007-04-05T11:05:00.000-07:00

Hello,

Well, we are leaving tomorrow for 2 weeks.... So, I will not be updating the blog until we get back.. I am hoping that once we return, we will have a bit of an update as far as our approval, but we will not know for sure until May. So, until then.... Happy Easter :)

A little bit more weight off our shoulders...

2007-04-03T18:40:00.000-07:00

Hello!

Well, today we went to our Agency and proof-read our Home Study Assessment Report.... We have to read it/correct anything and sign it, along with 3 other people (2 Social Workers, and the Director) before it is sent off. The report was excellent, our SW did a wonderful job! It is interesting to read all about you life in a nutshell... We were very pleased with what she wrote and hope that the Province will be impressed as well! I am so glad that we were able to take care of that this week!

Then, we went to the Lawyer to get more paperwork signed and notarized... So, 2 things done in one afternoon!

When we got home, we went over the big long list of paperwork and we are basically done.. We are just waiting for 2 more things to come in the mail, 2 more things to come by fax and we have to get passport pictures taken for our Visa later on... But besides that, we have a very nice little pile of super important documents that will be sent to ON when we are back and things can really get going!!!

It feels a lot better to have most of it done! Now, when we are gone I can relax in the sun and not think about stuff that we need to do, but instead I can just simply daydream about our beautiful, amazing baby that I so long for... :)

Paperwork..paperwork..paperwork, will it EVER end?!?

2007-03-29T19:30:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone,

Well, things are going pretty good... Today when I got home, there was another big, fat envelope in the mail, from our ON Agency of more paperwork.. I really do not mind filling out forms, but there is a lot more too it, than just that! We have to go visit the Lawyer again and get more stuff notarized and do some other things... I thought we were pretty much done most of it, but I have been mistaken!!! I know it is all sooooo worth it in the end, but it is sometimes very stressful at this stage!!!!!

On a positive note, Our SW e-mailed us and our HS Assessment Report is done and is being read by the Director this week. So, I am really hoping that we can go in next week and read our portion, so that is is done before we leave for OZ and then it can be sent away to ACS while we are gone....

On an even more positive note, I made my first baby purchase yesterday!!... I have been wanting to buy baby clothes for such a long time, but never have. I bought 2 sleepers yesterday that are African print and SUPER cute! (I bought one pink and one green, just to cover the basis for now, until we know!)

Thank you for your prayers, we so appreciate it (and need it!).

"Now to Him who is able to do immeasurable more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus througout all generations, for ever and ever, amen...."

Eph. 3:20-21

Officially on the Waiting List!!

2007-03-22T12:30:00.000-07:00

Hi!

We found out this morning, that we are on the Waiting List for our baby! We were confused at first b/c we thought that absolutely everything had to be in and done before we got on the list, but it turns out we were wrong! At a certain stage of the process, your name and request goes onto it and we are at that stage, yay! I have no idea where we are on the list, but they told me it is "growing everyday", so that could mean anything. We still have a lot more paperwork and steps to go through, but we are getting there!

The other night on TV, we were watching "Adoption Stories" on TV... I cried the whole show, it was just so close to home and so emotional for me to watch! It was so neat to watch this family go through all the steps that we are going through and then they went to Guatemala to get their baby. It is so comforting to know that at the end of all of this, that will be us traveling to get our precious baby!

On a different note, Marty and I saw a Surgeon today and he does not need surgery!! That is fantastic news and a big relief for us! His cast is off and he is using a Roho walking boot!

That is all for now :)

Boy or Girl?!

2007-03-21T14:01:00.000-07:00

Well, I know that some people are wondering if we are asking for a boy or a girl... We said to our SW either would be great. We do plan on adopting for sure a few more times, so we have lots of time to maybe request later! It is kinda weird that we can "pick," so we have decided to leave it in God's hands and He will bless us with the child(ren) that He has chosen for us!

In the adoption world, the majority of families choose girls and there are always lots of boys waiting for homes. In the Orphanage that we are adopting from, there are lots of girls coming home, but not many boys. We kinda have a "feeling" that we will get a boy, but we really don't know. So, Marty and I are now trying to narrow down our list of boy names and are having a bit of a hard time! Oh, and we are also planning to use their Ethiopian given name as one of the middle names :)

We Passed with Flying Colors!!!

2007-03-20T08:09:00.000-07:00

Hello!

Yeah, our homestudy is done!!!!! Our SW came again last night and we are finished, which is so quick! So, now she types up the crazy long document.... then the Director at the agency in Edmonton reads it, we then proof read, it goes back to the Director and then finally to AB Childrens Services, where they decide if we are approved... (all together this will take 6-8 weeks.)

Our last visit was totally great.. We talked about stuff like our relationship, our marriage, our parenting beliefs, church/spirituality, how we are going to incorporate Ethiopian culture in our home ect...ect...!! She said that she has absolutely no issues with us wanting to adopt and that she is going to write a very positive report!

So, as of today, we are a little bit ahead of schedule, but of course that may change, but we are very happy to be done a huge part of it!!!

:)

Our First Visit!!!!

2007-03-16T08:19:00.000-07:00

Happy Friday!! :) :)

So, our visit went GREAT with your SW! She is so, so nice and super easy to talk to...Honestly it could not have gone better!!! Basically we talked for 2 hours and she wrote, and wrote and wrote! The kind of stuff we talked about last night was why we are adopting, why International and Ethiopia, our families, home, finances, jobs, growing up ect....ect... Tons of stuff!!! It was so enjoyable to talk to her and we continue to learn more about the process. She is coming back on Monday and it will probably be the final visit! That is amazingly quick, so that is so nice to have one more thing done! By the end of it, she will have a 14 page typed document that will eventually make it's way to the Director of the Agency for approval, AB for approval, ON for approval and then to its final destination, the Orphanage!! So, we hope and pray that it will continue to move along and we can finally have our precious, so longed for baby!

Tonight is our Home Visit!!!

2007-03-15T09:29:00.000-07:00

Hi!

Well, tonight our Social Worker (SW) is coming over to see our house to do the Home Assessment/Report! We are very excited about meeting her, she sounded super nice on the phone and it is so great that things are finally getting going for "real", not just paperwork!

So, our house is nice and clean (Marty got out of all the cleaning (the lucky boy) due to his injury!) and we are all ready...I am hoping my banana bread wins her over and that she likes extra chocolate chips :)

I will update tomorrow on how it goes tonight!

Prayer Request....(not related to adoption)

2007-03-13T07:37:00.000-07:00

Hello,

Well, Marty broke his ankle yesterday, snowboarding in Jasper... They are going to put a cast on tomorrow once the swelling goes down.. There is a 50% chance that he'll need surgery, but they won't know for 2 weeks, until they do another x-ray. So, poor Marty... he was supposed to play in a big hockey tournament in 2 weeks and we are going to Australia in 3 weeks for my brother's wedding. So, if you could maybe pray for him, just b/c we are not really sure what will happen with it all... Thanks :)

Our Adoption Timeline...

2007-03-12T09:15:00.000-07:00

People are often asking when we are going to be going to Ethiopia to get our baby, so here is our very tentative timeline (Probably will change many times!!!)

Nov.- Officially decided to adopt a baby and after lots of research and prayer, decided on Ethiopia, which is on the East Coast of Africa.

Dec.- Applied with our both of our Adoptions Agencies. We need a provincial agency for all the AB stuff and an Agency to co-ordinate the Adoption with the Orphanage, which is in Ontario.

Jan.- Attended International Adoption Seminar at our Edmonton Agency (a requirement by Alberta to adopt) and filling out the mountains of paperwork, references, police checks ect, ect!!

Feb.- Patiently Waiting to hear back from our agency....

March.- Yeah, our Social Worker called!! Our first Home Assessment visit and interviews in our home on March 15!!!

April- Hopefully our Homestudy will be done this month...

May- Alberta Children's Services needs to approve the report that our Social Worker will write all about us.

June-A bunch of other paperwork gets sent to our Agency in Ontario and they write our Dossier, which is a document all about us, what we are requesting as far as a baby goes ect...They then approve our Home Study Report, authenticate all our paperwork and translate it.

July- Dossier sent back to AB Children's Services and is finally sent to the Orphanage!

August/September- We are matched with a baby (getting our referral).

October/Novemeber- Our adoption goes to court and is finalized in Ethiopia. At that time, the babies passport and visa is being issued in Nairobi by the Canadian Embassy.

December- Travel to Ethiopia to and finally get to hold our baby and bring him/her home!!!!

Our First Post!!

2007-03-12T08:52:00.000-07:00

Hello!

Welcome to our Blog! Marty and I are very excited about the adoption of our precious baby in Ethiopia! God put International Adoption on our hearts and we have been talking and praying about it for quite some time! In Novemeber, we decided to go for it and began this journey.... So, far it has been very interesting, already with a few twists and turns, but we know God has truly called us to this and has put incredible peace and joy in our hearts. We are filled with anticipation of his great plans for our family!