Wednesday, February 23, 2011

what have we been up to? and the C4C conference! (a little late:)

Thought that I would start this post off with a picture of some of the cutest, yummiest feet we have ever seen!!!  Cannot wait to see them in person!
So, my last post was about our referral call - what an incredible day that was!!!  Still floating after that - and with all the pictures that we are being blessed with from families traveling to Hannah's Hope (our agencys home in Addis Ababa).  Our little one is flourishing under the care of her "special mothers" and is getting bigger and looking healthier!  We continue to wait on the phone to ring - yes, again - for the news that we have a court date.  Then we can make travel plans, buy plane tickets, etc.  In the mean time - this momma may have been doing a little shopping - bottles (new for us:), a few cute outfits, etc.  And I have been relishing the time that I spend with my monkeys.  For instance - this morning before the bus, and drop off, and all the craziness that is our life, the boys and I had breakfast together.  and they learned how to really eat lucky charms:)  of course, you have to pick out all the marshmallows, eat the cereal with tons of milk, and then put the marshmallows in the milk and eat them - I cannot imagine what their teachers had to deal with today because this momma was on a HUGE sugar high!  Between the lucky charms and the ethiopian coffee that Gini brought us from their first trip - I was definitely awake this morning:)









Okay, that is what is happening here.  Hopefully I will post soon with our court date!  WE are praying for a miraculous date - one very soon!!!!  He can move the mountains - He is mighty!!!
Also - I leave you with a few pictures from the incredible conference that I was able to go to the first weekend of February.  To be with 250 other mommas who "got me" was beyond amazing!!!!  Gini and I flew into Atlanta on Friday, spent a little time with my Kim (never enough time unless we lived next door to each other:), and then stayed at the legacy inn and resort for two nights.  I was able to meet soooo many moms from our agency, some that I have been following since 12/09!!!  What a blessing to be able to share stories, be encouraged, and be with  so many other women who "get me"!!!!  Cannot wait for next year!!  (hint, hint, Andrea:) 

Monday, February 14, 2011

Our Call

Thursday, February 10, 2011.  The day that we received our referral call. 
I wish that I could tell you all that the whole day was wonderful - but it was not.  At all.  In fact, it was the worst day that I had since we started our adoption journey.  I started crying around 5 am, and did not stop for 7 hours.  Yep, you read that right, 7 hours.  The tears just kept coming.  And coming.  I think that Eric thought that I had truly lost it.  I talked to my mom, and a dear friend, and then I spent the morning with Emily - who put up with my crying for hours:).  And all the while I desperately tried to not think about what time it was in Oregon (where our agency is).  I left Emily's about 12, drove home - still sniffling, made Hannah lunch, and then our home study agency called.  Good news - our final, notarized home study was in the mail!!!  Bad news - I needed to get the address of US CIS from our agency so I could send it.  I did not want to call - I could barely see straight at this point from all the crying - you see, I am not a delicate crier.  I sob, and my nose looks like a tomato, and my face stays puffy for days.  Good look, right? (this is why you will not see a pic of me in this post:)! Okay, back to the story.  So I wrote our case worker "B" and simply asked if she could send the address to me, and then I said "please do not call".  I could not handle another "in His time", have joy in the waiting talk - not that day.  So I sent the email, and sat down on the couch with Hannah for some cuddle time.  And the phone rang.  I almost did not even get up to see who it was - I just wanted to crawl into a hole.  But I got up, and the caller id said "AGC".  Now, you might think that I got excited at this point, but I was so tired (from crying), and my spirit was so broken, all I could think was that "B" had received my email and was calling to see if I was alright.  So, our conversation went something like this:
Me - hello,
"B" - hi Becca,
Me - did you read my email?,
"B" - yes, I did,
Me - could you just give me the address?  I am really not up for talking today,
"B" - are you sure, because I HAVE A LITTLE GIRL TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT!!!!  Me - silence.....sitting on the floor in the kitchen.......silence...."are you kidding"?!, "B" - no!!!!!
And then, the tears started flowing, again. (At this point I did not think that I had any more tears!!!).  I asked her if I could call Eric, she said yes, and before we hung up I asked her how old our little one was.  "She is almost 4 months old", was the answer - so small!!!
I called Eric, and when he answered I said "can you come home now?".  To which he replied "yes".  I think that he thought that I had lost it, and he needed to come home to make sure that I was okay.  and then I said - "We got our call!!"  and he said - "WHAT!!!!"  Definitely not what he had been thinking I was calling about:)
So he came home, and we called "B" back and we talked for an hour about our little "A".  She is precious, and exactly what God had laid on our hearts to pray for over a year ago.  "B" told us that she would over night our paperwork, and we hung up - staring at her picture, speechless.  It had finally happened.  We called our family and friends, and then Eric left to pick up the boys from school (Thursdays are piano lessons).  When they got home we got Hannah up from her nap and introduced our kiddos to their new sister!!!!   They were so excited - they just kept saying - "we are not a number!!!" and trying to pronounce her name!
So, that is how it happened.  We celebrated as a family that night, and the monkeys all slept with her picture on their pillow:).
Okay - you all have to read this part.  While all this is happening here, Gini was in Ethiopia with her hubby for their first trip to meet their daughter at the same home that our little one is at.  So, Gini and I were talking on Skype while I was waiting for Eric to come home to call our case worker back.  I had told her that we got our call but I did not know anything yet because I was waiting for Eric.  She told me about her day, and then told me that while she was at Hannah's Hope (the transition home run by our agency), she held a precious tiny girl, whispering to her that her momma loved her and hugging on her.  I asked if she had a family, and Gini said that she did not know.  I know you all guessed it - it was our little "A"!!!!!! How amazing is our God?!!!!  Gini had one more day in Ethiopia, so they took some pictures and video for us!!  Love it!




Okay - I will end soon (because this is the longest post ever!), but many of you have been asking "what happens next?".  So - I will attempt to explain.  First - we cannot post her name or picture on our blog, facebook, etc.  If I see you - I would love to share her with you!!!! but we will not be posting any pics until she is home.  So, we are calling her "A".  Next - we submitted all our paperwork on Friday, and I am waiting for our caseworker to call me and tell me that she has it and that they are submitting it to the courts in Ethiopia.  And we wait, again.  For a court date.  We could hear in 2 weeks, or 6 weeks.  We could be traveling in 2 months, or 4 months.  We have no idea.  After we travel to meet her and go to court, if we pass court (all the paperwork has to be there, etc), then we wait for the US embassy to give us an embassy date (usually 4-8 weeks after passing court).  So, we are waiting - with her beautiful face etched in our minds and her sweet coos echoing in our ears.  And we pray - for an incredibly fast court date, for her health and that she gains weight - she is only 9 pounds.  And we REJOICE!!!

Thursday, February 10, 2011

The post I have been waiting to write!~!!

It finally happened!!!  we received the call about our daughter today, around 1pm our time.  I will blog more about the call later - but I just had to say - She is precious, beautiful, incredible and OURS!  After a long wait - I will sleep tonight without wondering if she is cold, or hungry, or being held.  She is ours, and she is perfect.  God has given us such a precious gift.  Tonight, we are soaring as eagles!!!!!
Isaiah 40:31 - They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength.  They shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.

Wednesday, February 9, 2011

Another song:)

I was so blessed yesterday afternoon to have a dear friend call me right during the hardest part of my day 4pm.  Kids are home from school, phone is not ringing, supper has to be made, and I want to crawl into a very small hole and cry.  After the call - I had such peace, I did not look at the clock again!!  this is truly amazing, because there were three hours left that our agency was open.  Instead - I pulled up you tube, blasted some music, and danced with my monkeys!!!  Here is another new favorite song that we learned at the C4C conference - Come Away With Me by Jesus Culture

Come away with me, come away.
It's never too late, it's never too late,
it's not too late for you.
I have a plan for you, I have a plan.
It's going to be wild,
it's going to be great,
it's going to be full of me

Open up your heart and let me in


Praying that your day is filled with peace

Tuesday, February 8, 2011

peace

I spent the most amazing weekend at the created for care conference in Atlanta with over 250 adoptive mommas.  Andrea - thank you for all that you did for us - my soul was fed and filled with peace.  During one of the breakout sessions on saturday, the song "running in circles" was played.  I felt like it was being sung directly to me. (of course - it made me cry for the 100th time that day - and it was only 11 in the morning!).  Anyways - wanted to share the lyrics with you all - through your wait - whatever you are waiting for -He is the only One who brings us peace.


I'm so forgetful, but you always remind me
you're the only one who brings me peace
you're the only one who brings me peace

I'm so forgetful, for you always remind me
you're the only one who brings me peace
you're the only one who brings me peace


So I come, Lord I come
I come, Lord I come
To tell you I love you
To tell you I need you
To tell you there’s no better place for me than in your arms
To tell you I’m sorry
For running in circles
For placing my focus on the waves,not on your face

I'm so forgetful, but you always remind me
you're the only one who brings me peace
you're the only one who brings me peace


I'm so forgetful, for you always remind me
you're the only one who brings me peace
you're the only one who brings me peace

Praying that your day is filled with His peace.

Wednesday, February 2, 2011

Another day - another question:)

First - we have power!  at least right now - that could change momentarily:).  Between all the ice and sleet we were prepared to have it go out last night, and we were pleasantly surprised to wake up this morning in a warm house.  Ahh, the little things in life:).
Okay - today's question is easy: high and low.  The kids and I love to play this game with Eric at the supper table, so I thought that we could do it today.
So, what was your high yesterday?  what was the best part of your day?  what made you laugh out loud?!  And then - what was your low?  It is probably easier for many of us to have the lows pop into our head faster than the highs - I know that it is a daily struggle for me.
So, yesterday my high - baking monster cookies with my precious daughter, while watching my two monkeys play monopoly with out fighting (yes, it occasionally happens:).
My low - not having the phone ring, again:(
My verse for today - Let the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable to you, oh Lord, my STRENGTH and my Redeemer.
Okay - we had 20 comments yesterday - you all made my day!  Let's see if we can beat that today!

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Let's do it again:)

Happy Tuesday!  Was hoping that I would be posting something different today:), but here I am again with another question.  (the eternal optimism of the adoptive mother always amazes me!).  And, let me say now, thank you to those you commented yesterday - I love learning more about you all!  and for those who did not (and I know that you did not because 91 people viewed that page yesterday:) - play with us please!!!!
Okay - today's question is easier - what is your favorite homemade breakfast food?!!
I love love love me some breakfast!  I can eat it for breakfast, lunch and dinner:)  and we often do!
So, my favorite homemade breakfast is my hubby's huge waffles, with real butter and powdered sugar.  oh, they make me happy just thinking about them.  They are the size of my head, and I can easily eat 4 or 5 of them (yep, you read that right!).
Cannot wait to read what your favorites are!
(and if you think about it - please pray for us today.  We are snowed in here in NY for two days with ice/snow, stomach bug is making its way through the house, we all have the cough/stuffy nose thing going on, the kids are going stir crazy - and this momma is way overdue for the phone to ring!  12 months is just too long.....I feel like I am 3 months overdue, waddling around, with every single person I see asking me "you haven't gotten the call yet?  Why not?  when is it coming?" - just like when I was pregnant and as large as a house (yes, my friends, it is true - I was a whale!) and people would say - "you haven't had that baby yet? oh, nope, still kicking around in there (as if the huge belly wasn't enough of a clue:).
I treasure and covet your prayers and sweet notes throughout the day.  So, here's to hoping that tomorrow I will not be bugging you with another question!!!!!