Combining blogs

So I have been trying to juggle two blogs-our adoption blog and our family blog. Not really working out so well, so I am combining the two. So for you adoption bloggers, hope you don't mind getting in on the family stuff too.

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Today we had our fingerprint appointment in Fargo and we are so glad that is over with, not because it is a difficult thing to do, but just to get it done with and not worry about it anymore. While in Fargo, we had to do a little shopping at the mall-and the boys got to play at the dinosaur playground. While we were there we ran into a family who we met at the hair training. It was fun to visit about her little girl, who was around the same age as Addis when she was adopted. She had a wonderful transition experience, which is always a blessing.
Fargo has an African market, so Travis went there to buy the Teff we needed to make basic injera. We are going to try and make it soon, I will let you know how it goes.
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Room update:
Addis' room has now had 4 coats of white paint to cover the blue color-blue is still showing through. Agh!!!
We did get her dressers painted black and we are really happy with how they turned out-I will post pics when we get the walls done, her room might end up being pink with blue stripes!

God answered our prayers!!

God gave us our "Thanksgiving Miracle".......we have a court date!!!!!!
December 14 we will hopefully pass court and she will officially be our little girl.

Thanksgiving Miracle????

We had a conversation with our case manager today-hoping for some news about a court date-no such luck. We are holding out for a Thanksgiving miracle though.
Praying for those who are probably meeting their new little ones today at HH.
Our day will soon come and all this waiting will seem so silly.

"She's our Brown- Eyed Girl"

Here's another peek at our sweet baby girl. We love sitting and looking at her photos. We are so thankful to have at least these to hold on to while we wait for her.

Fingerprint appointment

We finally received our fingerprint appointment Saturday for November 30. It seems like still so far away. I am trusting God will have everything worked out so we will receive our FDL letter when we need it.
It seems so odd that everything takes so long. I understand the waiting time for a referral-there are families ahead of you. But once you accept a referral.......come on!! I know our agency does all they can do and it's just the way it works. But it's been a month since we accepted her referral and she is still sitting there with no family to love her. HH does a wonderful job but it's not the same as a family.
I want to hold her and sing to her, tell her we love her and her heavenly father loves her. I want to see her play with her brothers and watch them protect her. I can't wait to see her grow and to see her personality. Will she be a tomboy with all these brothers? Or will she be a princess? I can't wait to feel that first hug and hear that first "I love you". I can't wait to be the one who wipes her tears as she cries...for her loss...boo-boos...fears...
Even if things are not the way we imagine they will be when we bring her home, she will be HOME, with her family. God will work everything else out.
WE LOVE YOU ADDIS! WE CAN'T WAIT TO SEE YOU!

WAITING!!WAITING!!WAITING!!

So we are just waiting for any news from AGCI or our int. Ped. Any news would do.......well preferably good news. So to pass the time, we pray for her and her special mothers caring for her. We pray for her family wherever they may be right now. Here is a sneak peak of our little Addis.

Package for Addis

We mailed off a little package for Addis. We can only send what can fit into a gallon size bag. I was shocked by how small it was but we were able to fit what we wanted to send.(except for me, of course)

A doll, a blanket, and a little photo album with pictures of us in it. I hope she likes it!!

We hope the pictures of us will help her not be so scared when she sees us for the first time and the blanket has our "scent" so hopefully it will be familiar to her when we hold her.

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On Saturday I went to Fargo to learn how to do Addis' hair. It was a blessing to be around so many adoptive families and children. It was neat to learn about how to care for her hair and ways to fix it. Very encouraging to be around families who "get it".

I can't wait to get her in my arms and cuddle and play-and now do her hair. I am curious how long her hair will be when we finally get there and to see the texture and curliness of her hair.....WE CAN'T WAIT!! Well, of course we have to wait and trust in God's timing......but we are so excited!!!

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Please continue to pray for her health, she is doing better since at HH but our international ped. is concerned she might be flagged when going through the testing to leave the country. We are hoping to hear soon, this week, on what we can possibly do to avoid this delay.

Good News

We had our "next step" call with our case manager yesterday and received the news that our paperwork is on it's way to Ethiopia. Yay!!!! I had been praying the night before that this would be the news she would tell us. We are relieved to have our documents on their way. Our travel packet also came in the mail that day which explains what to pack and what to expect when we do travel. That was so exciting to read that and picture us actually doing it, going and getting her and being in her country. I have always wanted to go to Africa and so I am just elated at fulfilling two dreams in one. I love learning things about Africa and especially Ethiopia. I have been trying to learn their language a little and Youtube has been quite helpful, actually. They even have videos of kids singing songs in Amharic, I love hearing their beautiful voices. I hope to keep this going as she grows so she can feel connected in some way.
We pray this time will go by fast and that God will allow us to go and get her as soon as possible. He has shown me that He has a plan for us and this adoption and I need to trust in that.
I was a little down as I drove to work last night, despite the news of our paperwork getting to Ethiopia soon. I was a little discouraged and even fearful that we wouldn't be getting her for a long time and then a song came on the radio, Mark Schultz, "I am". I have heard the song so many times before but this time something was different. It was like God was singing to me, saying "why are you doubting, worrying, fearful, impatient? Don't you know who I am? This is who I am......" I couldn't help but smile and even laugh a little about how silly I was being. He knows the path of our lives and I am glad I can trust in HIM. Our sons memory verse this week is ,"It is better to put trust in the Lord, than to put confidence in man."

We are gearing up for the launch of our orphan ministry at our church. I am so excited to see how God is going to work through this ministry. I hope eyes will be opened and more families will be led to adopt, others will feel led to donate time or financially to help orphans worldwide.