Well, I just got done posting that we got our official referral and that we had to wait about 2 weeks for a court date. On Friday morning we received an email that said our court date was set for Jan. 4th! Since Ethiopia is ahead of us, we should find out by noon if we passed court.
We are very encouraged by the speed of our court date. We know that God is watching this whole thing closely and we keep praying we can have her home before her next birthday! (which is the end of February).
We are very glad that we have the holidays to keep us distracted while we wait for our court date. We will have one of the best destractions ever, the McKenzie clan (all 7 of them) will be coming to stay with us for a week and help us ring in the New Year. Another family, the Mottos (who just brought home their son from China) will be coming to spend New Years eve with us as well (the McKenzie's and Mottos were friends first, but now we all are). Anyway, that will be their 5 and our 5 and the McKenzie 7! Wow!! What a house full we will have and we are looking forward to every minute of it.
Keep up your prayers. Send us emails of encouragement!
Merry Christmas!
Monday, December 14, 2009
Thursday, December 10, 2009
It's here! It's here! It's here!
Our official referral showed up on Tuesday! We had a scare last Thursday that there might have been a problem, apparently everyone at the agency thought we had our referral already. Sort of a nerve racking weekend!
Yesterday, we dropped the 100 pages of signed and notorized documents and another check off in the mail. (okay, not quite a 100 pages, but it felt like it). So glad that part is over.
Next step is waiting for a court date. We hope to hear about our court date before the end of December, but it could be January. We do not have to be there for the actual court date, a representative of the agency handles that for us. The theory is we should "pass" court a-okay because our daughter was on a special list and all her paperwork is in order. Some people don't pass court the first time, which just means the judge wants clarification on something, so you get another date and so on til you pass.
Once we pass court we get to travel. It's about 3-4 weeks after court...typically. We are praying very hard and would appreciate all prayers that the next 2 steps go very quickly as Emma has a birthday toward the end of February. We would love to have her home by then.
In the meantime we are keeping very busy with the holiday season. We will have family over for Christmas day dinner and our dear friends are going to drive all the way from Virginia to spend the week before and New Year's with us. We are so excited to have them again this year. The distraction will be great for the kids as everyone is getting anxious nervouse and anxious excited.
My apologies to everyone, but I am not mailing Christmas cards this year. I will try to get a great picture of the kiddos up as you won't believe how much they keep changing!
Thank you for all your warm thoughts and prayers.
Yesterday, we dropped the 100 pages of signed and notorized documents and another check off in the mail. (okay, not quite a 100 pages, but it felt like it). So glad that part is over.
Next step is waiting for a court date. We hope to hear about our court date before the end of December, but it could be January. We do not have to be there for the actual court date, a representative of the agency handles that for us. The theory is we should "pass" court a-okay because our daughter was on a special list and all her paperwork is in order. Some people don't pass court the first time, which just means the judge wants clarification on something, so you get another date and so on til you pass.
Once we pass court we get to travel. It's about 3-4 weeks after court...typically. We are praying very hard and would appreciate all prayers that the next 2 steps go very quickly as Emma has a birthday toward the end of February. We would love to have her home by then.
In the meantime we are keeping very busy with the holiday season. We will have family over for Christmas day dinner and our dear friends are going to drive all the way from Virginia to spend the week before and New Year's with us. We are so excited to have them again this year. The distraction will be great for the kids as everyone is getting anxious nervouse and anxious excited.
My apologies to everyone, but I am not mailing Christmas cards this year. I will try to get a great picture of the kiddos up as you won't believe how much they keep changing!
Thank you for all your warm thoughts and prayers.
Friday, December 4, 2009
The Blind Side
Doug and I went to see the Blind Side over Thanksgiving weekend. Actually, we went twice, because the fist time it was sold out! I was impressed that it was sold out after already running for 2 weeks and it was an afternoon show.
Anway, all I can say is "Wow!" It is definately a must see.
As most of you know, I am not a crier. I can take a hit pretty well and I don't choke up at things that normal women choke up at. However, there is a scene in the movie that struck a cord with me. It's played in a commercial for the movie, but something about seeing it in the moment and I couldn't stop the tears.
The foster mom shows Michael his bedroom and Michael says, "I've never had one before." She says, "What? Your own bedroom?" and he says, " A bed."
Can you imagine being 16 and never having a bed? Well, it's happening all around us. Right in our own backyards (as this movie depicts) and all around the world.
Do us a favor. Count your blessings. Do you have a bed? Did you eat today? Yesterday? Will you be able to eat tomorrow? Do you have shelter over your head? Do you have heat? Someone to call family?
What we have done for ourselves alone dies with us. What we have done for others and the world remains and is immortal.Albert Pine, English author, d.1851
Anway, all I can say is "Wow!" It is definately a must see.
As most of you know, I am not a crier. I can take a hit pretty well and I don't choke up at things that normal women choke up at. However, there is a scene in the movie that struck a cord with me. It's played in a commercial for the movie, but something about seeing it in the moment and I couldn't stop the tears.
The foster mom shows Michael his bedroom and Michael says, "I've never had one before." She says, "What? Your own bedroom?" and he says, " A bed."
Can you imagine being 16 and never having a bed? Well, it's happening all around us. Right in our own backyards (as this movie depicts) and all around the world.
Do us a favor. Count your blessings. Do you have a bed? Did you eat today? Yesterday? Will you be able to eat tomorrow? Do you have shelter over your head? Do you have heat? Someone to call family?
What we have done for ourselves alone dies with us. What we have done for others and the world remains and is immortal.Albert Pine, English author, d.1851
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