Adoption Update!

Hi there!! I just wanted to pop in and give an update on our Ethiopian adoption!! YES we are still adopting. We had a scare last month with the possibility of Ethiopia shutting down international adoption, but after much prayer and fasting our God gave us favor and the country is STILL OPEN! YAY! So here we are almost 2 years on the DTE list and still very far from getting our referral. I have no idea when we will get our phone call, but I do know the wait time is continually increasing. If you remember when we started this process back in 2011 (yes, you read that right ELEVEN), the referral  wait time was 10-15 months. We are closing in on waiting 24 months in March. The "official" wait time I heard was increasing to 36-42 months. The last family that received a referral for an infant boy waited for 34 months. SOOOO where does that leave us? Well, we are just buckling in and waiting it out! I don't know what God has in store for our family, but I do know that he blessed me with a beautiful baby girl and I am just enjoying her to the fullest while we wait to see what is next!!!

 

We were #47 on the list in August, then we went the wrong way to 49, now we are back to 47. Whew. This crazy adoption. 

2 Years later

August 2011.

That is when we started this adoption process.

Wow! How things have changed! I would have never imagined we would still be so far away from a referral at this time, but I know God has a plan for our little family and specifically this little adoption. We are still in the waiting phase, and in the waiting comes expired documents. The last few weeks we have been renewing documents like crazzzzzzzy. It was very reminiscent of our first home study. We had to get updated physicals. Jovie up to date on her vaccines. The house in good shape. In home Home Study interview. These were all a little tricker with a 7 1/2 month old baby this time, but we got them accomplished! We are very grateful for our family members that helped us with appointments! Couldn't have done it with out their help.

So what's next?

Well we are currently holding strong at 47 on the wait list. I believe we are good on our paperwork until this time next year. *Hopefully* we will be close to a referral by this time next year!

Fingerprints: The Sequel

This story will keep you on the end of your seat! Our renewal biometrics appointment did not go anything like the first time. Lets start at the beginning.

We got an email from our Family Coordinator that we needed to have our fingerprints renewed. I finally got around to sending in our application (paperwork just is not as fun the second time around), and we got our appointment for a Friday in April. First problem. We already had plans the Friday before that to go see our friends adoption in a different city. Meaning Ryan already took of work, so we couldn't do the original date. No big deal right? Just call for a new appointment?...Nope. You have to mail back in the original form then wait for a new appointment. Awesome. So the wait begins...

A few weeks later I got a letter from USCIS with just *my* appointment. It was in the middle of the week in May in the middle of the day. All I could think was great. How am I going to pull that off with the baby and where the heck is Ryan appointment letter? I started second guessing if I even mailed off his reschedule form! Thankfully a few days later we got Ryan's form and his was the day AFTER my appointment! Uhhh...Two trips to Houston?? Well this is the first God moment. We remembered that Ryan had a work trip in May in Houston...Yes. It was the same week!! What a relief! Ryan doesn't have to miss work, and I don't have to go alone with Adelyn!

We head off to Houston and notice that our hotel is literally 1.5 miles from the biometrics place! Whatttt???? That was sooo God because obviously He knew how much I was dreading driving in Houston with Adelyn. (Ryan had to stay at his conference for my appointment). Here are the thoughts going on in my head...It really could not have been playing out any more perfectly. God must really want us to be doing the adoption! He couldn't possibly been more present in this situation...

Dunnn Dunnn Dunn...

Long story short: We get to the hotel, start to check in a realize we were at the WRONG hotel. OUR hotel is about 40 miles away. Awwwwwwwwwesome...

You would think the story ends there right? We just have to drive about 45 minutes to get to our appointment. Well that would be right, except when I get to my appointment after Adelyn screamed 90% of the way I forgot my ID...Yep.

You can't get your fingerprints without an ID. I cried. The super wonderful nice supervisor was so kind and told me to just come back the next day with Ryan and get them done together.

Very long story all to say that we got the fingerprints done together at Ryan's original appointment and it all worked out okay!

Fifty Seven

 

Adoption Update:
We are currently at number 57 on the unofficial wait list. Slow is the name of this game, but I would be lying if I said I was ready to be at the top! We are still adjusting to life around here with a new baby.

 

We are rounding out the first year of waiting. What a year it turned out to be! In March we will be DTE for a year. That means we have some documents that are starting to expire and we need to update them. First on that list would be our Biometrics (AKA Fingerprints). We have to do lots of awesome paperwork to get a new appointment and get them redone. I have heard before that paperwork is no fun the second time around and now I understand. It was giddy and exciting a year ago, now...not so much. Oh well! It's what has to be done to get us to our Isaiah!

 

 

Adoption Update

 

I've given lots of pregnancy updates lately, but not so many adoption updates. Honestly, this is because there hasn't been much to update. I checked all the referral summaries last night and there has only been FOUR referrals for children UNDER FOUR since August. I had noticed things seemed slow on the referral side through the message board, but I didn't realize it was that slow. My heart hurts for the children that are ready to be part of families, but are stuck behind the legal tape. I am, however, glad that our agency does everything necessary to ensure ethically correct adoptions.  My prayer is that the governments will start moving at a miraculous speed and help bring these babies home! I also hurt for the families that are about to spend another holiday season without haivng or seeing their precious childrens faces. It will be a rough one for them I am sure, but they will hold fast to the promises of God and remember that He is good and has good plans for their families.

Bring Love In

You know how every now and then you will come across an organization, cause, or family that just pulls at your heart? You know immediately what they are doing is great work and you want to help them? That is how I felt about Bring Love In. I watched their video off of Give1Save1 and was instantly compelled to help this family. I sometimes get the urge to donate, but if they don't have Paypal I will just move on and not go get my credit card. However, this was deserving of walking into the other room and getting the moola!! Sooo...Watch this video. Check out their site. Invest in their call to look after the widows and orphans!

"We work with local churches to find widows and mothers who’ve been left to lead their households on their own. In a country like Ethiopia, where resources are scarce, these women often find themselves on the streets, with no way to provide for their families.

We will train and provide for these women, so they can support their own families and, in turn, open their homes to children who’ve been left as orphans.

We will provide a first class private education to each of the children living in the Bring Love In homes.

We will have a team of nurses and social workers on our staff who will visit each home on a regular basis, ensuring the level of care – both emotional and physical – remains high.

Our focus is on building future leaders, residing within their home countries – leaders who will bring vision and direction to their communities." - Bring Love In- The Project

Six Months

Today we have been DTE for six months!

 

 

 Movement on the referral side has seemed almost nonexistant lately; however, the court dates and embassy appointments seem to be flooding in! Ethiopia has been hit pretty hard recently with some difficult situations. Their Prime Minister, Meles Zenawi passed away in August. Please pray for the country and for the adoption process!!

 

*Summer Picture Wrap Up*

Annoucing to the first time grandparents :)

 

Last day of a looooooong end of school.

NYC Mission Trip!

 

Almost every Monday night my family would run in a 5k race:)

Towards the end I did much more walking than running.

One of my favorite pics of me and mawmaw.

Just love to look at this sweet baby!

First outfits for baby Adelyn/Jude!

Mini Destin Vaca!

Painting the baby's room!!

The new mom mobile. Loveee it.

First day of Year Four!!

The Peach

I am always on the hunt for gifts that give back. I love to find anything cute that also helps provide for someone in need! Today I hit the jackpot! I was over on Danielle Burkleo's blog and she was highlighting a great adoption story!

 I have already bought a necklace...you should too!!

"Hello! I'm Carina and I blog over at a punk, a pumpkin and a peanut.

I am mama to three little rascals, lover of vintage and coffee and chocolate, among other things.

For the last year, my husband and I have been waiting to adopt our fourth baby.

We have two biological boys, and one adopted, and feel so excited to be adding to the sweet chaos that is our every day.

Two weeks ago we got the call that we'd been chosen to adopt a baby girl due this August.

And we are over the moon.

We know that God is already writing our love story with this little peach

and His hand is so evident in the details.

You can read more about all of that here.

The reality of adoption is that it takes a serious chunk of change to make it happen.

Like $25,000 when all is said and done.

We've saved and saved and had a little pancake breakfast to get the ball rolling,

but we are still well away from that number.

We are not ones to ask for something without offering something in return,

mostly because it makes us feel weird.

I've been making jewelry for my little etsy shop for the last few months and

after a lot of thought, I decided to design a few adoption necklaces to help make up some of the difference.

I am dreaming big here: my goal is to sell 100. My dream is 200.

300 would knock our socks off and put a serious dent in that total."

"Would you consider helping us out?

Spread the word and buy a necklace (or two)...

you'll be helping us bring our baby home, supporting adoption

and you'll even get something pretty in return!

And please come follow along on this super exciting journey -

it's sure to be an adventure!

shop blog twitter"

I sure hope they don't mind that I completely copy & pasted the blog, but she put it perfectly so why try to rewrite it??

4x4=16

Yesterday was our four month DTE date! Today, I am 16 weeks pregnant!

Last night as I was going to bed, I was thinking about what having children does to Ryan and I. I was thinking about what a real unbreakable connection we will have for the rest of our lives. I mean I know that marriage gives you that, but I feel like with children it secures the bond. I felt this strong like excitement and peace about the connection. There is (obviously) noone else I would rather take this journey with. Ryan is just the best and I can't believe how lucky I am.

I wish they would do a 25 & Pregnant, or even a Married & Expecting season on MTV to show those girls what life CAN be like if you wait to have kids. I mean there would still be some drama, hormones are all over the place, but the underlying message of the show would be love.

\

We moved A LOT the last month! Praise God!!

This was about 2 weeks ago...Around Week 14

An Obedient Journey!

Y'all might remember Rebekah from Saying Yes to Adoption. They have been home about 2 months with their Ethiopian cutie pie!! He is presh...
Anyway,
They know a couple who have decided to follow their call adopt a *FEW* kiddos from the Ukraine!! You can follow their story over on: An Obedient Journey!

"The wake-up call was on February 5th, 2011, when our college pastor was scheduled to teach a sermon on adoption, both about the adoption of children and about our adoption by God. I remember walking into the room where Les was ironing that morning saying “I kind of don’t want to go, because I know it will bring it all up again.” That actually brings tears to my eyes typing this because I realize that the conviction of God was there then and I was ignoring it. When we left church that morning, my heart was just really heavy with that conviction. Before we even got home from that service, we knew that we had to rethink “our plan” and follow God’s plan for our lives. We started talking with the college pastor and his wife about their adoption to get more information. They are wonderful by the way, and you can read all about their adoption at http://yestoadoption.blogspot.com/. In just a short time, we made our decision that we would follow this conviction on our hearts and adopt! Our hope is that we will adopt siblings from Ukraine. We absolutely cannot wait to see what God has in store for us!"- An Obedient Journey

The family is trying very hard to raise money for their adoption. They have some SUPER cute stuff in her etsy store.  Here is what I bought and LOOOOVE...

They will look perfect in my kitchen!!

She has some other super cute stuff for a reasonable price! Head over to Stitched in Love and help them raise money :)

Some items from her store...

Table Runner- $20

Set of Two Tea Towels- $10

Clutch- $10

I don't think...

I don't think I have mentioned lately how EXCITED I am about the future of my family!!!

*Two* babies are really coming!

 This fall is going to be the best ever! Football season, Holidays, and Baby!!!

 We are so blessed :)

Belly in Times Square!

Pregnant and Adopting...

How does the pregnancy affect the adoption?? I have got this question a lot, which I love!! I love that people care to know about our adoption, so feel free to ask anything about it!

When we first started the adoption process we had to sign a waiver with our agency that stated if we got pregnant, we would withdraw from the adoption process. This scared us off and we both decided to focus only on growing our family through adoption. After a couple of months we felt like God would be the ultimate decider in how our family was grown so we left all options open again. A few days before we became DTE we got an update from our agency saying that due to the increased wait time they were allowing concurrent family building plans (CFB plan). This meant that you were allowed to pursue multiple adoptions or grow your family via pregnancy. Lucky for us! At the time, I was excited at the possibility of whatever foster care would bring at us. Little did I know...

After we found out about being pregnant, I waited to tell our agency until we heard the baby's heartbeat. Once we had the ultrasound done, I sent away our updated CFB plan.

Back the original question. How does this affect the adoption? We are placed on "hold" for any referrals until our bio baby is 6 months old. However, we still move up on the wait list like normal. We just cannot receive a referral until he/she is 6 months old.
(A referral is being matched with our Ethiopian baby!)

This doesn't really change anything for us! This bio baby will be 6 months around the time we will have been waiting for 15-16 months. If you remember the current wait time for the adoption is 18-24 months. Looks like perfect timing if you ask me!!

After we receive the referral we will have to go to Ethiopia to meet the baby and appear in court to become his legal parents :) Yah! Then we will return home and wait for him to get his visa to travel legally to the USA! After he receives his updated visa we will return to Ethiopia and bring him home to join our family!!

  If all goes according the the current time lines we could be a family of four around March 2014!

*Eleven weeks!* 

*80 on the wait list!*

Waiting Update!

We have been DTE for over 2 months now and have moved just a bit on the unofficial wait list. We are now at #81! I have been seeing lots of changes over the last few weeks of people requesting a larger age range. I think it is wonderful that these families are opening their hearts and homes to slightly older children! Here are some of my favorite blogs of families who have adopted "older" children.

Dreaming Big Dreams- Jamie Ivey's parenting journey through childbirth, domestic adoption, and international adoption! She is married to Aaron Ivey from The Austin Stone!

Rage Against the Mini Van- Kristen Howerton's story of fostering to adopt, international adopting, and child birthing of four kids in four years!

Jen Hatmaker- I don't actually follow her blog much, but I did love her book 7. She has adopted two children from Ethiopia along with her 3 biological children!

Change the World for One- If this story doesn't give you chills or tears, I'm not sure what could! This boy's smile is just precious!! You HAVE to watch the video at the bottom!!

Pure and Lasting- This is a bit of a different story! Instead of adopting an older child, this couple is "hosting" a Rwandan teenager!! I'm not sure exactly what that means, but I know he lives with them and they are his American parents!

Called to Help!

In January, Ryan and I took about 30 college students to Passion.Passion is a college aged conference that held over 40000 people! Out of those 40000 people, we break up into small groups. Those small groups consisted of about 8-10 people. In my totally random, find two strangers, make a group, small group, I met Rebekah and Will. They happened to be adopting from Ethiopia! (love it!!-Thanks God!!) They had just gotten their referral for a two month old baby boy they named Israel. Fast forward to April, and they have gotten all the clearances they need and are going to pick up baby Israel!! They leave very soon and are doing some last minute fundraising. The flights to Ethiopia are EXPENSIVE!!!

 If you want to help them chip away at the costs, head on over to Rebekah's blog and buy some of her super cute stuff!!! Here is the link : Saying Yes to Adoption

Here is a sneak preview of some of the items she is selling:
Hurry though! She is shipping on Friday!

Coasters- $10

Tukula Purses:

Navy/Maroon/Yellow Wristlets (1 available) $12

Wreaths $25

Remember, not everyone is called to ADOPT.

 BUT every believer IS called to do something. This small little act could be your something!

That point.

Today I have reached that point. The point of control over my situation. I have exhausted very option to get a baby. There is no other "process" I can start to get closer to having a baby. I am dossier ready for an Ethiopian baby. I have done all of the stuff on our side for foster care. There is nothing left to do but wait. I have no more control.  

"There were scars before my scars
Love written on the hands that hung the stars
Hope living in the blood that was spilled for me
Ohh control. It's time. Time to let you go.
Control. It's time. Time to let you go."

Announcing...

In November 2010 I got the baby bug. I wanted a baby, but I wanted to do foster care. Ryan wasn't super excited about it and honestly did not really care to do it. He knew it was something I truly wanted to do and he was supportive. So we started contacting agencies and found our match. We were eligible to foster through Theraputic Family Life. We started the paperwork process. Things were not going smooth. Everything we attempted to do just didnt work out. Looking back it was obvious that God was moving in us to get us to our Ethiopian adoption. I don't remember how it happend, but for some reason the foster care plan came to an end. We just didn't do it. We did start our adoption and you guys all know that story!
We found out a day before we were DTE that our agency had increased the wait time for referral to 18-24 months. This was a blow to us. However, it was also an unexpected reopened door. Ryan actually said we could start the foster care process again. He was 100% on board with it this time!

Everything about this go round has been different. Our paperwork is about finished, we have done our fingerprints (again!), we have completed our CPR/1st Aid training, and we have gotten our reference letters (again!). We are just waiting on our training (again!), and our home study (yep-again!).
We have been working on this stuff for about a month. It is flying by and our prayer is that we are licensed for emergency foster care by the end of May.

Our PLAN is (we know how well those work...) to be a family for a baby that needs a place to stay for a short time. Maybe until they get a permanent foster family, or maybe a just break from mom and dad. Really I don't know what this will actually look like. All I know is I am super excited and getting ready for a baby!!

This weekend my mom and I went out to our church's garage sale and to a few children's consignment shops. We had a great time and it was sooo unreal to be really preparing for a baby!! We didn't buy much because we have set pretty big age parameters. We are getting licensed for 0-4 years old, boy or girl! I did buy a bunch of cute girl clothes that I am currently washing right now!!

I have been hesitant to mention our new plan because I have been nervous it will fall through again. We are getting so close now that I don't mind sharing. If God has other plans for us this summer, we are open to it. But as of right now, we are planning to be welcoming children into our home!!  Please join me in praying it all works out!!

Created for Care

This past weekend was a great weekend! I attended the Created For Care Retreat in Atlanta, GA. Me and one of my besties, Beth, that is adopting domestically had a great time together!

Ahh! Driving in Atlanta in this HUGE (haha) SUV!

I would say I had two three four highlights of the actual retreat. It was totally great, but these things realllly were the icing on the cake!

Yes we were only gone for the weekend...

Speaking of cake, lets talk about food! These ladies knew what women want. FOOD! They had great meals, but even better snacks! We had all the sodas and candy we could want for free all weekend. They even had one of those candy shelves that they have at candy stores filled with some healthy and some not so healthy treats! Every night they provided multiple types of cakes and desserts. At one point during the weekend, they even had free ice cream bars! Yes. The food alone would have been worth the trip!!

Although...it gets better!!  Not only was there great good but they had some awesome ministries represented. I was a little excessive the first night there and bought something from just about every booth. (Well maybe not, but I did buy a lot!). It was just as cool as I had imagined seeing and meeting some of the women behind these ministries!

 I was pretty pumped I met and talked to Kelly Putty from Ordinary Hero.

Here is a run down of the ministries we got to support!

Light Gives Heat 60 Feet Sole Hope 147 Million Orphans 

WIPHAN Ordinary Hero Visiting Orphans Mwana

My African goodies :)

Our new t-shirts!

On a more serious note the next highlight was the experience of worshipping with over 400 women who have a heart for adoption. Sometimes I would catch myself just staring around the room thinking these women all know what I am going through. All these women get it! Most of the worship songs were cleverly geared towards trusting God and his timing. It was so much more powerful to sing those songs with these women that clearly have had to trust in His great timing and release their plans to God.

Adoption Friends!!

The last highlight was the most personal one to me. If you have read anything about this retreat you have probably heard of the Date with God session. I was very apprehensive about this because I thought it was corny. However, we got into the room and the leader explained that we shouldn't talk to anyone else. It would be like being on a much anticipated date with  your hubz and  your chatty friend comes up and talks the whole meal. Something about that picture whipped my mind into the mindset that this was in fact a "date" with God. So for the first time (maybe ever) I just sat and released myself to God. I just really felt like God wanted me to talk about myself. He wanted to hear everything I was holding in, He wanted ME to talk, He wanted all the attention on ME.  I know that sounds weird and kind of not really the way God works, but it was something I needed. It was really cool and I am glad I went and had that experience on a Date with God.

 Overall. Great retreat!

The trouble with IF.

Ryan and I have some great things going on in our lives right now. Some of those things are public knowledge and some of them aren't ready to be shared. All of the stuff we have going on is really exciting, IF it all works out. IF....that is a word that has been haunting me the past few months. I have been caught off guard by how much I let the implications of that word harden my heart. I have started not allowing myself to get excited because what IF it doesn't work out? The IF has really crushed my spirits and so not typically my style. I think because I want this stuff to happen so badly that I am trying to guard myself from disappointment. One example is our adoption. I am really so excited about it, but I haven't even let myself go to the true excitement of becoming a mom. I just keep thinking what if Ethiopia closes the doors to adoption? What if the wait gets even longer? Will I ever get my Ethiopian baby? Then comes the doubts of what will happen IF I get a baby... What if he has too many issues for me to handle? What if he doesn't attach to me? What am I doing!! It is a deadly spiral and the devil definitely steals my joy, kills my excitement, and destroys my mood! And this my friend, is not the way I want to live my life. I want to rest in the fact that my God is working for my good. I was created to do GOOD works that he has prepared in advance for me to do. He will sustain me and be my rock. He is who I want to focus on and be excited about! So that is what I am trying to do. Focus on God and know that whatever does happen is going to be for GOOD! I am going to try and let myself get excited and break past the wall of doubt because I was created to enjoy life and be the light of the world! How can I be the light if I am afraid to shine?!

Delivered!

Our dossier has been delivered to Ethiopia. Yep. Pretty excited! Doesn’t mean anything, just good to know it made the long trip!
We are “unofficially” number 83 on the ever increasing and ever slowing wait list.
We got some bad news the day before we were DTE. Our agency increased the wait time to 18-24, just to get a referral (matched with a baby). This was definitely not expected, but it should have been. Things are just slowing down. We pray )and would love for you to pray) that things would miraculously speed up. It’s all in God’s timing.
What does that look like for our family? Well it looks like it will be a long time before we have our Ethiopian baby here. That’s about all I know. I am okay though, I know God has a plan for our lives and He will give us a baby when we are ready.
On a lighter note, I will be attending the Created 4 Care retreat this weekend! I am soooooo excited. I get to see some bloggers that I have been following for a long time, meet other adoptive mommies, worship with those mommies our Creator, and relax! What could be better??
Here are some pictures from the last few days…


A Pig Roast (yes they had a literally PIG) Luau.

My first time to wakeboard! I was up just long enough for a picture!!

What an excellent day!!
My week has been amazing. Probably one of the best weeks I have had in a long time. I am overflowing with joy from having Jesus in my heart!! I hope you all do to and know the awesomeness I am feeling right now. Have a great weekend!!