Scout Is Home

August Adoption Fellowship

2009-08-03T10:51:00.000-07:00

Our group will be meeting Thursday, August 13 at 5:00 at our home. If you are thinking about adopting, in the process of adopting, or already have adopted, this is the place for you. This is a great group to ask your questions about adoption as there are families who have gone through the process and have a wealth of experience to share. It's a great support for those in the process of adoption. We know what you're going through and are here to hold your hand, cheer you on, and to let you know that you are not alone in this journey. It also is a SUPER support for families who have adopted. Children get to play while parents connect... need I say more? Leave me a comment if you would like more info, and I hope to see some old and new faces!!!

fnacotton

2009-07-27T06:13:00.000-07:00

I would like to introduce to you a new t shirt company, fnacotton!!! It is a business created by Marcus Grisham and a friend of his. Marcus goes to the same church as us, is an incredible person (his wife is pretty great too), and the Grishams have just decided to adopt from Ethiopia!!!! Kevin is wearing the "Old School" shirt and he loves it!!! Check them out at http://www.fnacotton.com/!!!

Something to Ponder

2009-07-20T16:26:00.001-07:00

Yesterday Pastor John, our pastor at JRA, spoke a message about adoption, and it was simply wonderful. I don't think I've ever heard a message on this before, and he did a super job. I have posted the link to his message below, but I have to comment on one of the things he said. He mentioned a conversation he was having with Andy Braner (see the Journey link to the right). Many of you know that the Braners have adopted a baby girl from Rwanda and are about to adopt another little boy from there as well. Pastor John asked Andy if he was concerned about attachment issues. Andy's response was that he has attachment issues but God chose him anyway. WOW!!! What an HMMMM moment for me!!!! That is so true!!! Did Christ decide not to choose or adopt me because of my lack of attachment or His concern that I wouldn't attach someday? No, and even despite my attachment issues, Christ chose me anyway. WOW AGAIN!!! I'm not quite a "peach" as PJ would put it, and I am so honored that Christ did adopt me.

James River Assembly Ã¢Â€Â¢ Messages

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July

2009-07-20T09:57:00.000-07:00

Why does the summer always go by so quickly? That is something that is commonly heard in the circles I run with, and as much as hate to talk about it, summer always does go by too quickly. We have had a blessed one, that is for sure. As to be expected, K Kauai was a blast. Rae was quite the hit, and I felt like I was with a celebrity as everyone was very much drawn to her infectious bubbly personality. Besides our week at Kauai, we have thoroughly been enjoying the carefree days of summer... picking berries, going on hikes, playing in sprinklers, building a tree house, a little home decorating here and there, and laying by the pool. School starts one month from today and I am looking forward to packing in as much "carefreeness" in as possible. We are going on a few more hikes, visiting with friends (our travel buddies to ET, the Whitakers, come next week), pool time, and for me, a visit to my bestie, Jamie Jo, in CO. I hope you all are enjoying your summers too!

Friends, Food, Fun, and A Fawn!!!

2009-06-17T18:32:00.000-07:00

We had an action packed weekend last weekend filled with beloved friends! I have had plans for several weeks to have Hally's best friend, Maggie, over as she has recently moved to Colorado and was visiting this week to see her grandparents. Her grandparents could not get her until Saturday, so we got to STEAL her for one evening. Hally, Maggie, and Emmy were so happy to see each other and they had a BALL with one another. The Haggos family also came Friday to spend the weekend with us. The kids had a great time playing while Coni braided all the girls' hair and she even taught me how to make beef tibs (?). They also brought injera, dora wat, and a lentil stew. It was entirely and completely YUMMY!!! I am hoping to be able to both braid and cook Ethiopian in the near future!!! On Saturday when Maggie's grandpa came to get her, he brought over an abandoned baby deer that he had taken in. It was so adorable and definitely a highlight for the kids' weekend!!!

Happy Birthday Sweet Rahel Scout!!!

2009-06-17T16:55:00.000-07:00

Two years ago our sweet baby Rae was born. I cannot tell you how blessed and fortunate I feel to be this child's mom. She is amazingly charming, smart, bubbly, and just a FUN little girl. When we were preparing ourselves for Rae's arrival, I had no idea of what a blessing we would receive. Thank you LORD for this wonderful BLESSING called Rahel Scout!!!!

God Wants to Bless Someone in Norman, Oklahoma!!!!

2009-06-09T11:04:00.000-07:00

I am pasting an excerpt from Jamie's blog...

Okay, adoption blogging community. . .I have a wonderful opportunity!!! Andy spoke to our staff during our staff training week and he talked about adoption at one point and how you can help without being an adoptive parent. Anyway, to make a long story short, one of our staff girls got inspired! She is head of something in her sorority at OU and she gets to decide where their "charity" money goes this year from this certain fund raiser she is putting together. Last year they raised $9000 and this year her goal is ten. Well, she has gotten permission to raise the money for an adoptive family in Norman, Oklahoma. NOW SHE JUST NEEDS THE FAMILY!!!!

So, if you or anyone you know is from Norman and are adopting and need financial help, please let me know and I can get you hooked up with this sorority. They will pick one family to help.

Click on the link above for more info!!!

Summer Is Here!!!

2009-06-02T05:33:00.000-07:00

It has been such a long time from my last post! Hally, Brady, and I made it through another school year, and it was a great one for all of us. Brady actually cried the night of the last day of school as he was proclaiming that he would miss his teacher. We were so blessed by the quality of our kids' teachers this year!!! It feels so great to be on break. I love spending time with my family and being able to have the energy to do "things" around the house. We also have great plans this summer which include building a tree house, painting the living room, building organizational shelves and cabinets in our closet (can you say hallelujah), and possibly doing some "fixing up" in the kitchen. We are also surprising the kids with a trip to K Kauai on the 19th. I cannot tell you how excited I am about this. We went last year and had the time of our lives!!!! So far, we have been to the pool twice and Rae really loves it. Thankfully she got her cast off last week, so she is good to go for WATER summer fun!!!

3 Month Post Placement Visit

2009-04-29T10:14:00.000-07:00

Last week Shanon, our fab social worker, came over to do our 3 month post placement visit. Can you believe it? It actually hasn't been quite three months, but I wanted to make sure we got the ball rolling. Our visit was very revealing for me to realize just how much has happened in just a little amount of time. When Rae first came home, she ate a lot (I mean packed it down), wouldn't make good eye contact when she was upset, and liked to run up to strangers and be held. These are all signs of a child who isn't attached to someone or possibly a child who is grieving a loss of some sort. Well, Rae is now a picky eater, will make eye contact with me when she is upset and is just a little more discriminant about who she lets pick her up... I count this to her just being a very friendly child by nature. I know we aren't out of the woods yet concerning adjustment and attachment, but boy we are off to a good start!!!!

Our Weekend

2009-04-28T10:21:00.000-07:00

On Saturday morning, Rae and I were coming around opposite corners at the same time and slightly bumped into one another. Rae fell back on her bottom in a way that was very common for her or any typical 22 month old. She surprised me when she started to cry (she's typically pretty tough). Hally helped her up and I was shocked to see her wobbling and not putting weight on her right leg. Kevin and I looked her leg over. She didn't have swelling and was able to move her toes and knee around. Kevin, who sees lots of sport injuries, thought she pulled a muscle, so I decide I wouldn't panic. All that day, she refused to try to walk, but seemed otherwise in a pretty good mood (as long as I was holding her). The next day, Hally's 9th birthday, when she still wasn't walking I began to get concerned. I stayed home from church and called the doctor just after Kevin left. Our pediatrician thought I should take her to urgent care to get her checked out. I grabbed Rae and my purse and headed out the door. Noticing an empty garage and no keys to my husband's truck, I realized that I was stranded until Kevin got home. Finally at 1:00, I packed up Rae in our car and set off for urgent care. Three hours and a box of tissues later (and during Hally's party), I got the report that Rae had indeed fractured her tibia. The next day we took Rae to an orthopedic doctor, and he explained that she had a "toddler fracture". My nerves slowly start to even out as he explained that this type of fracture is very common for her age even though she didn't have much of an impact to seemingly cause a fracture, and that he puts casts on toddlers and young kids for this about once a week. Rae is now sporting a grass green cast for the next 4 weeks. On the brighter side, she will just be ready for the pool by then. On the funny side (kind of), we have our first social worker visit since Rae has been home tonight!!! On the sad side (again), Brady has been home the last two days recovering from strep.... ugh!!

I promise my next post will be a lot happier. We have so much to be happy about!!!!

You're Invited, So Please Come!

2009-04-08T08:58:00.000-07:00

On May 9th, I am helping with an America World Adoption Seminar that will be held at my church in Ozark, James River Assembly, from 10-12. If you are reading this, and you would like more information about adoption from Ethiopia, Rwanda, China, India, Russia, Ukraine, or Kazakhatstan, then please come. You can register by calling 888-one-child.

Bittersweet

2009-03-29T14:03:00.000-07:00

Last week, I went back to doing one of my favorite things in the world which is teaching children with special needs. Each day I work with these amazing children is a reminder of how much can be accomplished and the hurdles that can be overcome with just a little bit of faith and encouragement. I have learned from my school kids that nothing should be taken for granted, and how blessed I am for the healthy children I have. Some of the kids that I work with or have worked with have major life threatening health conditions and severe learning difficulties that make simple everyday tasks a major feat to accomplish. Their attitudes towards these challenges are inspirational. As I went back to work on Monday morning, though, a bit of the sweetness that I savor with my job had a hint of bitterness. Oh, the sweet little 21 month that I left at home with my amazing mother was on my mind heavily. Thankfully I had such a busy day that it was hard to dwell on what I was missing at home. By the end of the week, I began to heavily reminisce and mourn the experiences I have had in the last 2 months. I could almost smell the burnt air in Africa that might make some people nauseous, but brings a smile to my face. I missed seeing smiling kids running through the streets, beautiful trees and bright colored flowers. I even missed the crazy car rides we took where it seemed we would inevitably hit someone, something, or be hit ourselves. I missed taking my daughter for a walk around the block in her stroller, hearing her bellow out momma, late morning bubble baths, seeing her face light up when I would walk in the room when I was only absent for a few moments. I had it bad and still do. I am thankful that God has given me the best two months of my life filled with glorious and rich memories. Today I cling to those memories but press towards the future as I know that God still has some of my best memories before me yet to be experienced!

Spring Pictures!!!

2009-03-19T05:59:00.001-07:00

My fantastic sister in law took these photos!!!! Thanks, An!!!!!

We're Famous... kind of!!!

2009-03-08T12:24:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks before we traveled to Ethiopia, we were asked to be interviewed by church staff. The subject was Wednesday Night Prayer, and we were asked on camera how it has affected our lives. If I were asked one on one how prayer has changed me, I think I could go on and on, and the listener would have a hard time getting me to stop. But on this occasion, I froze and seemed like the most uncool Christian and JRA member around as I had a hard time formulating my thoughts into words. I was able to utter out that I thought Wednesday Nights had an awesome impact on my kids (this is literally all I said). This little blurb I made, made the final cut for the announcement the church made to encourage more people to go to church on Wednesday evenings. As I was sitting in church this morning and it was playing on the jumbo screen for all to see I felt a little embarrassed to see myself uttering those simple words, and it didn't help that Andy was pointing at us and whispering to those around us that we were on the screen!!! In the midst of this, I couldn't help but make the connection during the clip that God has answered so many prayers concerning my kids. At the time when we did the interview, I was thinking of the awesome Wells and Rankin families (children's pastors) and the incredible team they have. The creativity that God has blessed them with is really quite unbelievable and the impact it has had on my kids is eternal. Beyond all of that, though, God revealed to me that when I said "kids"at the time I was only thinking of Hally and Brady. But now that we have Rae and have experienced so many answered prayers concerning her, I couldn't deny the affect prayer has had on all our kids. When I think of all the prayer cards we filled out, the requests our children made in Sunday School, our morning petitions to God, the times my kids raised their hands for prayer requests during kid's church, and the countless friends and family members who I know have been praying, it made me realize that God had listened to our prayers. There couldn't be a child more perfect for our family than Rae, and she doesn't seem to mind us too much either. Now I can see that little phrase I made that prayer has had an amazing impact on our kids, though small in content, spoke volumes of the goodness of the Lord and the faithfulness He will display if we would simply call on Him.

Shower. . .Thanks For Coming!!!

2009-03-08T11:11:00.000-07:00

Well, it was a super shower and so many people came! Thanks so much for stopping by (this is Jamie Jo blogging again, but I know that Kelly would be saying the same). Here are some darling pics of Rae and Kelly for you to enjoy!!!

A Funny for the Day!!

2009-03-03T07:08:00.000-08:00

Kevin went out one day to exchange money while we were in Addis. While out he was taking photos of the city as he was wanting to capture everyday life in Ethiopia. A man having his shoe shined caught his eye, and he decided to take a shot. The fellow, to Kevin's surprise, hollers out as he was taking the picture, "Where are you from?" in perfect English. Kevin, a little taken back, tells him he is from Missouri. The guy bellows back that he is from Texas. It really is a small world!!!

Kevin

2009-03-02T10:57:00.000-08:00

There are a few topics that I have been wanting to write about in reflection of our trip. One topic is Kevin. I cannot get over how my husband never ceases to amaze me. The day we met Rae for the first time, I found myself staring at him. At the time I was surprised that he didn't ask me why I was looking at him so much, but as I reflect I can see that he wasn't paying attention to me. This is exactly what caused me to stare. He was totally enthralled and wrapped up in captivating our daughter's attention and affection. I knew that becoming Rae's mother would be very easy for me as I thought this was a "mother trait", but I didn't realize how instinctual it would be for Kevin as well. Watching and observing Kevin that first day was magical and priceless. He had that mysterious and wonderful glow that was infectious and magnetic. I will never forget it.

Even as wonderful as that day was, what I experienced with Kevin there after was beyond a magical moment. It was unconditional patient loyalty. As soon as we left the transition home, Rae did not show interest or tolerate anyone's affection but her mothers. As much as Kevin was wanting to love and hold her, he accepted her rejection of him without any impatience or being hurt. He only made comment that he was glad that it was him she was rejecting and not me. This is my Kevin though. Always ready for the long haul, moving steady, and remaining on course. This has always been Kevin throughout any situation we have been in, and once again God has been faithful to my husband. Within a week of being home, Rae was accepting Kevin's affection and love. She is now happily a daddy's girl!!! She squeals and runs to the door when he comes home from work and delights in any attention her daddy gives her. Kevin is definitely one of my heroes and I am so glad to be doing life with him.

A Bonding Family

2009-02-24T10:01:00.000-08:00

Life with Rae the last few weeks has been better than I could ever had imagined. Everyday she gets more and more confident, assured, and attached to her new family, friends, and surroundings. On our first Sunday together she spent a lot of time on my lap. Brady and Hally were able to play with her as long as I was a short distance away. Hally and Brady are great older sisters and brothers to Rae. Brady loves to hug and kiss on her and brag about her while he is at school. Hally was able to hold Rae on Monday. Even though it was for a short time, Hally was so ecstatic and so proud. She started to let Kevin hold her a short time after that. She now is spending most of her time playing and being silly, and only occasionally wants to be held. This changes if we are out in public. Last Sunday, we went to church, where she was very bubbly, but would only sit in my lap or be held by me. We went back to Sunday evening church where she was able to hear praise and worship (we were late in the morning). She absolutely loved the music. She almost bounced herself out of my arms, as she was so excited!!! During the evening sermon, she would tease Kevin by reaching her arms out to him, go to him, but only for a second or two before she wanted to return to me. After service she got very brave and let Hally walk her around the atrium area.

Rae is also very much developing communication skills. She has always said something that sounds like the word auntie. Whenever she saw something she was interested in, she would say, "aunite, auntie", point to your face, and then to whatever it was she wanted you to see. We found out in Addis that she was saying "hey you"!!! At the beginning of the week, she started saying momma. She doesn't really realize what this means and that it is unique to me(she has called others this as well), but she does know that I get really happy when she says it to me. She is now saying daddy, Hally, and our dog's name Jo Jo (sounds more like doe doe when she says it). She repeats a lot of words especially when looking at pictures and picture books.

Eating. Rae does a lot of it. She can really pack it down and can eat about the same size portions that I eat (maybe even more). We went to the doctor and according to their charts, she is in the 8th percentile, but I can't imagine her staying there for long. She really isn't picky either. There have been very few things that she won't eat.

We are really pinching ourselves over this really smooth transition so far. Even our best expectations for this time has been exceeded. Thanks for the prayers and thank you to God for this unexpected blessing!!!

Day 7: Love Is On the Way!

2009-02-21T04:04:00.000-08:00

The only word I can properly use to describe this day is exhaustion. Not just physically exhausted, but mentally and spiritually exhausted as well. I feel like my senses were so filled up in the past week, that on this last day, it was all coming to a grand finally of sweet overload. Our travel group had ambitious plans of making several last minute stops to different places we wanted to see and do, but only ended up making one final stop. The place we ended up visiting was to a coffee factory/shop. You can't go to Ethiopia and not learn about the birthplace of coffee can you? We saw how meticulously the beans were sorted over and over again. The beans went through several sorting machines, and just when you thought the beans had been sorted enough, they again go through another sorting phase. The last sorting phase is a feast for the eyes. We were escorted into a large room with three or four long rows of tables. Beautiful women draped in gorgeous colorful scarves, that covered their noses and mouths, squeezed side by side up and down the tables as they sorted the beans by color. Several of the women looked up quickly and exchanged a quick smile before getting back to their tedious task of sorting. We ended the tour by buying coffee in the shop area. After this tour is when the Whitakers and our family knew that this would be our last visit in Addis. We all did our final traveling preparations and relaxed until the time came to depart for the airport. We had to say our goodbyes to the Joner family hours before our departure, and then said our farewells to the Whitakers in DC. These were not sorrowful partings, but more like a we'll be seeing you soon kind of farewells. I am thankful that God had picked such great families for us to travel with and I will always value our time we spent together in Ethiopia. We were quite early in arriving at the airport, but that didn't seem to be a big issue as we were occupied in making conversation with other adoptive parents who were congregating in the airport and doing last minute shopping. Yes, there is great shopping in the airport (great for spending remaining birr), and the prices are not that much more expensive as the markets we patroned a few days earlier. I was almost laughed right out of one shop I was in as I tried to barter for a cheaper price of an item I was interested in. Okay so there are shops in the airport, but no bartering!! Can you blame a girl for trying?!!!

Before I knew it, we were loaded on the airplane and headed home. During our flight home, I developed a new admiration for my little brave Rae. She is such a strong little girl. She had been through so much in her short little life, and now here she was on her momma's lap as happy as she could be heading home. She was an absolute dream coming home. Our first flight was 17 hours, and she was perfect. We had a 4 hour lay over in DC, a 2 hour flight to Chicago, and then a 2 hour layover there. Again she was perfect. Our last flight to KC was a different story. As soon as we got on the plane, Rae released all pent up feelings of exhaustion, uncertainty, and anxiety. Even though she was exhibiting characteristics and actions that should have been terrifying to me, I had been given a grace and an understanding for her that surprised me. I almost could hear myself telling her to let it out and that she deserved this moment of frustration. And I was fiercely ready to defend her to anyone on the plane who might have even given me so much as disapproving look. Thankfully, I decided to not make eye contact with anyone (so I wouldn't have to repent later). As soon as the wheels touched the pavement in KC, it jolted Rae to where she immediately quits crying and falls into a peaceful rest. This is when I start to let down as well. Kevin and I decided to wait until everyone else got off the plane as it was the least we could do for these people who had to endure a plane ride full of wailing (and I knew my parents who were picking me up weren't due to pick me up for another half hour). I really felt like I was in my own personal little tunnel as I was walking off the airplane towards the waiting area. My skin felt numb and there was a faint pounding in my head that reminded me of the lack of sleep I have had within the last 48 hours. I am really feeling like a zombie as I blankly stare at who knows what when I reach the airport waiting area. I hear pounding and I have to really ask myself if the pounding in my head has somehow increased in intensity. I come to my senses enough to realize that it is coming from the the plexy glass that was separating the main lobby from the secured lobby of the airport. There before my eyes were the faces of two angels, Melissa and Jamie Jo. There they were with Todd and Andy clicking pictures and holding balloons and signs cheerfully describing the anticipation of our arrival. I melted instantaneously, but tried to keep it together as I covered my mouth and tried to hold back tears. It was a failed attempt. My step quickens and I fall into their embraces. What a great surprise!! The airport that we flew into was a good 3 hours from where we lived, so I was not at all expecting to be greeted by anyone but my family. They will never know how much this homecoming meant for me, and I will never forget this memory. A few moments later, I see my children, mom, dad, brother, sister in law and niece walking down the hall. I spotted them first and hollered out to them. My son bolts in our direction and seems conflicted on who he should greet first. Before we know it, we are all in a mad frenzy of hugs and kisses. The embrace I shared with my mother was therapy for us both. My pain was her pain and she had labored this journey just as if it were her own. It was at this moment, on Valentine's Day, that I remember the verse God gave me right before we got our referral....

Relax, everything's going to be all right; rest, everything's coming together; open your hearts, love is on the way! Jude 1:2

Day 6: Beautiful Country, Beautiful Children

2009-02-20T03:44:00.000-08:00

As I awoke to this day, I had begun to notice the same sounds on this early morning as I have heard all week long. A call to prayer broad casted throughout Addis, roosters crowing, dogs barking, the cleaning lady sweeping the hotel stairs, and big diesel trucks roaming the streets of Addis can be heard faintly in the backdrop of my sleepy dreams as they transfer to the reality of a brand new day. There are a million things that are new to me about this city, but the things that will make an imprint on my memory for eternity are the fact that there were trees everywhere. Usually in big cities, trees are scarce, but in this huge city with a population of several million people, there are so many trees. I will also remember the hospitality of the people here. These people really took a hold of Jesus's words when He said to serve one another. It seems to come so effortlessly to them and so apart of their culture that it is almost expected to put other's needs before your own. On this morning I was humming the tune "greater things are yet to come and greater things are still to do be done in this city". Now that I have been, seen, and tasted this beautiful country, I will never be rid of the burden I have for her. At the beginning of the week, all I could think of was how I wanted to get home and was counting the days of our departure. Now, tears welled up in my eyes as I looked across this beautiful city from my hotel balcony window thinking that my days here were coming to a close. The thought of seeing Hally and Brady soon are one of the comforts in leaving this beautiful country.

I was very excited about this day particularly as I knew we were going to visit several of the city's orphanages. We all got ready and met in the hotel lobby where we again loaded up the hotel's mini van and headed to our first orphanage called Gelegela. As soon as the home gates were opened, children could be seen running frantically trying to get a glimpse of the foreign visitors they had grown accustomed to seeing periodically. We all looked each other over and after exchanging waves and smiles, we began to make our tour. Forget everything you know about orphanages when you are visiting this place. Images of Oliver asking for more please to an overbearing heartless caretaker and the tune "a hard knock life" would have come to mind if you said orphanage before visiting Gelegela, but this place was a happy place. The children were happy and well taken care of, and you could feel that they had a sense of belonging and purpose in this haven they had been giving from a prior life of who knows what. Make no mistake, though, that this is not where these children belong for the long haul. They need homes desperately. They need mommies and daddies to hold them when they cry, cheer them when they accomplish a hard task, and to encourage them to reach their dreams. Gelegela is providing a short term need with excellence and the children are thriving. There are millions and millions of orphans in this tiny country just twice the size of Texas. This facility cares for less than 100 children. There are more children that need to benefit from this haven. About half way through the tour, we met the most amazing woman. She was the director of the orphanage who appeared to be around the age of my own mother. This women had the face of an angel. And to the one's she has been in contact with, I can only imagine they felt she was an angel. She proceeded to tell us her story and vision for the impoverished of Ethiopia. I will not share the details of her story as it is hers, but I will tell you that I was in sobbing tears by the end of her story, and will be forever changed and motivated by her testimony. Michelle, thankfully, was our group's spokeswoman and thanked her for sharing her story and for all the work she has done. The director was ever so humble and gracious and said something I would never forget. She said that she was nothing, had no education past 5th grade, and that God delights in using the foolish to confound the wise. There was nothing foolish about this women, and I can only hope to be and do a portion of what this women has done. We finished the tour by handing out treats to the children and giving the orphanage donations (which included the tees from James River Kids.... isn't it cool to think that kids in Africa are wearing "Got That" shirts?!!!!). There was one particular little fella who stayed really close to my side. He absolutely stole my heart and Kevin's....

The visit to Kids Care was also unforgettable. The same feeling of happiness that exuded from Gelegela was also present in this facility. We met Duni's mother at this establishment, and if you ever wondered where Duni got her fearless determination wonder no more as it is definitely hereditary. Rae was quite content on my lap as we watched Jason play jump rope with girls, Scott spin a basketball on his fingers, and Kevin taking pictures like mad of willing and excited children. We all left with a greater sense of gratitude towards the people who had been caring for our children and a feeling of awe and wonder as we witnessed many of God's commands set in motion.

Day Five: An Official Date

2009-02-18T09:30:00.000-08:00

Kevin and I were surprised to have passed the night away without waking up at least once. We were awake long before Rae opened her eyes for the first time that day, and I had to wonder what she was thinking when she did awake this day? She let out a few whimpers and I pulled her on the bed to my chest. She seemed quite comfortable and safe in this position. Kevin tried to get her to smile and play, but she only buried her face deeper into my chest. I was still in the state of wonder and awe of this precious child I was holding and was trying to learn every detail of her features. That was when I noticed that a few of Rae's rubber bands that were in her hair had broken within the night. I thought that I could put off doing her hair for a couple of days, but that was not to be. Thankfully Rae was very patient with me when I made my first attempt at doing her hair. The hardest part was definitely taking out the remaining bands. At one point I had to use Kevin's pocket knife to cut the ones that were in so tightly. All in all, Rae was perfectly patient with me and I feel like I ended up doing a pretty good job!

We spent the remainder of the morning getting ready and eating. Rae was buzzing about the room playing with Kevin right up until the time we had designated to leave for lunch. As soon as we leave the room, Rae makes it very clear that the only place she'll be is in my arms (and that is where she remained for the entire day while we were out). We ate at another Italian restaurant and then headed off towards the US Embassy for our consulate appointment. We went through several security check points, but all I could think of were past new's headlines where US Embassies were bombed abroad. Mix that with the fact that an US Ambassador employee had mysteriously died the day before we arrived, and then you have one nervous momma!! Everything went very well for us, despite my wild imagination, at our appointment, but I was very glad when it was over. We spent the remainder of our afternoon at the post office area shopping. We had such a good time interacting with the people and making our purchases. We ended our day at the hotel where we ate dinner and unwound from another busy day.

Day Four: Living in a Dream

2009-02-18T02:05:00.000-08:00

Duni had given us a real treat when she said that she wanted to take us to the site of where Kids Care wanted to build an elementary school. Duni had informed us that we were going there after we had finished filling out the massive amount of paperwork that morning at Kaldis Coffee Shop (Addis's version of Starbucks and if you are ever there get a juice spritz as it is DEVINE) in order to be prepared for our embassy appointment the next day. I have to say that when she first told us that we were going to the location, I was not so thrilled. Look at land? Really? I had no idea of the treat we were in for. The location is a little village (or suburb if you will) just outside of Addis. Currently, they have a kindergarten and early childhood complex that educates toddlers and 5 year olds. If a family wants their child to get an education past this age, then they have to commit to walking an hour each way to school. It isn't too hard to figure out that the need for a school here is huge. The school is painted in a bright aqua green and although it looks dilapidated, it somehow speaks out of its cheerfulness. The school was on break this week, so when we take a tour we find vacant rooms. The school is surrounded by a gate and children had started to accumulate outside its borders as curiosity takes the better of them. There were two little girls by the gate that caught my eye, and I signal to them that I would like to give them a piece of gum. Unlike the shopping experience a few days before, when the other children saw me do this, they did not run and try to get a piece too. I took it that they didn't want a piece but later realize that shyness was the culprit. At about this time Duni leads the group to the plot of land about 50 to 100 feet away from the early childhood complex that will be the location of the new school. By then we have quite the following of children, teenagers and even some adults from the village who are curious of our visit. The land is large and flat with not much grass our any type of plant or tree growth. To tell you the truth, I was having a hard time focusing on the school site as there was a small group of boys that looked like they were around 10-12 years old that stayed a close proximity of my side. I guess it was because they noticed I was carrying a cup of juice (the delicious juice spritz from Kaldis) that was almost gone that caught their attention. One of them points to the cup and says "juice?". I hand it to him and he takes a few quick steps back and immediately inhales quickly from the straw. He did this so fast that he made a huge slurping noise which caused him embarrassment and the other boys to crack up in laughter. I couldn't help but giggle myself. It reminded me of the kids I see everyday at school and how they too are quick to be embarrassed and giggle at small embarrassing moments. As we strolled back to our car, Duni asks one of two girls that are walking hand in hand their names and ages. The older was 12 (she really looks about 9) and the younger was a 5 year old student at the kindergarten building. Duni has a small conversation with them in Amharic and finds out the 12 year old indeed makes the hour long trek each day to and from school. Duni also coaxes the younger child to sing a song she learned in school. It had to be the sweetest melody my ears had ever heard. The little girl was very apprehensive about doing it, but visible strength took over her as she belted out the tune she probably had sung so many times before. The group roared in applause and praise when she was finished, and a huge smile envelopes the little girl's countenance as she lifts her head with pride. Duni explained that she sang a song about a naughty monkey who stole a banana, got in trouble for it, and then vows never to do it again. How precious was that? We ended our visit with sharing more gum with the children and waves goodbye. As the van pulled away, children continued to wave frantically and run along the side and back of the van. I kept my position facing the back of the van until all the children were out of sight. I had settled two things in my mind as we pulled away. One, I wanted to be a part of the building of this school, and two, I was going to choose to be as happy as these children who seemingly have nothing.

We then made a hour long journey to a restaurant and hotel called Dream Land. Again, I was wondering about how worth it would it be to take two hours of our precious time from Addis to visit this place, and again I was proven that I had no idea what I was talking about. Dream Land is situated at the top of what I can only describe as a bowl. In the pit of the bowl is a huge and vast lake. Evidently a volcano had made this lake and 3 others nearby that were very similar to the one we were visiting. The restaurant facilities are mostly outdoors. When you take your first step outside the indoor area of the restaurant, you can see for miles and feel as though you are on top of a mountain. Downward stairs lead to a lookout area patio. The drop from the patio to the lake was quite steep and the distance to the other side of the lake was vast. The images and scenery I was viewing were absolutely breath taking. With our zoom lens on our camera, we were able to see children swimming in the lake and herdsmen leading their flock for a drink. It had to be one of the most beautiful images I have ever seen.

As beautiful as it was at Dream Land, there were other thoughts pending my mind. Today was a historical day in the Blackwell family as it was the day that Rae would be taken to her forever home. So once again we made our way back to the transition home, and crossed through those magnificent silver doors. Rae was a lot quicker to come to Kevin and I on this day. We tried asking lots of questions about her to the nannies and get as much information about caring for her as possible. We also spent as much time as possible with the other children and babies that were waiting for their families to come. I really did not know but a handful of children and who they belonged to, but between the three families that were there, we made sure that every child got some attention and love. I do know that I cuddled and loved on baby Martin and Kulp. They were both such good and sweet babies. I also played with the Hall's little guy. He is something else!! He loves attention and is very social!!! I think I spent the most time with A. Semlow. She is such a spunky little sweetie. Wherever I went, she made sure she was within a short distance of my side, and if I didn't have anyone else in my arms, then she made sure that my arms weren't vacant for long. By the end of our visit, we were having kissing wars!! I so hope that she and her brothers are able to go to their forever home soon!!! Leaving the transition home was very emotional and bittersweet for all of the families. Nannies were saying their cheerful goodbyes to our children, but all we could think was that our children were leaving the only place they had ever known.

We all spent the remaining of the our evenings in our own rooms. Kevin and I tried to make the evening for Rae as comfortable and fun as possible. She was very somber and sweet. She ate, looked at books, tried on her new shoes several times, and stayed close to my lap at all times. Kevin and I could not get over the miracle that was in our midst. It didn't seem possible that she was finally in our care.

Day Three: Meeting Rae and A Little Tradition

2009-02-17T02:13:00.001-08:00

If there ever was a day that I was up and at 'em, it was last Monday!! Kevin and I met Duni for the first time ever at the Hilton that day, and she is such a beautiful woman!! We had lunch by the pool and discussed what would be happening that week. During our lunch conversation, we were able to learn a little more details about where Rae was from, and I look forward to being able to share what I learned with Rae someday. I think we were all anxious to get on with the day and before we knew it, we were making that historic ride to the transition home. With every turn, I was wondering if we had arrived? Could this be it? We finally pull into a very bumpy alley way and I begin to see lots of gates like the one I knew surrounded the transition home. We stopped at the gates that I immediately recognized and without a doubt knew that we had arrived at our destination. The three families had agreed on the order that we would go in, but all of that was put to the wayside as the gates were open and the Whitaker's little guy was in the arms of the transition home's security guard. There was no prepping the Whitakers. This union was a beautiful and unscripted experience. It seemed within moments they had their little guy in their arms. Next, the Joners were united with their beautiful little girl. This was exciting to witness as well as it was remarkable to see how amazingly this little girl resembled both of her parents. After a few pictures I could see that Duni was starting to get ready to bring out Rae. I literally had to drop the camera in Michelle Whitakers's lap so that I could stand up and get in a stance that would prepare myself for my first glance at Rae. Fortuna, the TH nurse, had her in her arms when they immersed from the doorway. Rae had a look on her face that completely said that she did not want to go outside and that she was way happier doing whatever she was doing a few moments ago. All I could see was a beauty and radiance that I have not seen too often. Every emotion that I may have stored away were coming to the surface as massive tears came pouring down my face. As Fortuna came closer, Rae became more and more panicked that she may have to actually be held by these two strangers; one of which is crying uncontrollably. I knew I had to gain composure if this child was ever going to want to come to me. I was actually perfectly happy to just gaze at her, but before I knew it, Fortuna put Rae into my arms. Rae was not at all happy about this! My heart went out to her as I could only imagine how scary this experience was for her. Fortuna suggested that we give her a toy, so we reacted quickly and pulled out a book and a sucker. Within seconds, she was occupied with the items and I was able to take in this little wonderful creature. Her warm little body was finally in my arms. I could feel her breathe move in and out of her lungs and all I wanted to do was absorb every motion, detail, and smell about her. Emotion and gratitude towards God began to overwhelm me again as Kevin drew Rae and I into his arms. Kevin began to pray the sweetest prayer of thanksgiving to God for this wonderful blessing that He had aloud to occur. Rae's head was against my chest and she seems completely content with the sucker she had been given. Kevin and I looked her over and before we knew it, Rae seemed to come out of that shell she had been hiding in moments ago. She was very playful and eager for whatever attention we were willing to give her. We made our way to the TH garden and explored flowers, which Rae loved to pull apart, and then we sat on the grass to look at the book she seemed now interested in. After spending a little time with her outside we eventually went in to the home. There were so many children and babies!!! Such beautiful happy faces!!! This home had an overwhelming feeling of joy as nannies and children were hugging and interacting with one another freely. I began to notice children I had only seen before in pictures and that feeling of surrealism began to overtake me again. After visiting a few hours with the children and nannies, we were notified that our visit was coming to a close. At about this same time, I realized how heavy Rae was against my chest. She had been exhausted by the day's events as well and had retreated to a peaceful slumber. I laid down this sweet jewel in her bed and vowed to return tomorrow when she would be forever ours. Parting on that day was not hard, and I was very thankful for the transition period we were given as it allowed Rae and her new parents to get used to one another. The three couples and the driver piled into the van and there was a collective sigh of contentment coming from us all as we pulled away from the home.

That evening we went to a traditional restaurant in which we all ate from a single basket. Ethiopians are not as concerned about personal space and borders. As far as they are concerned, people are connected collective beings and flow from one person to the next freely. To hug, hold hands, and be close to one another is expected. So why not when eating, eat from the same basket (plate) and share the experience as a group and not just as an individual?!!! I could totally get used to this lifestyle. Being a person who loves to be affectionate and be touched, I felt right in my element. The families at dinnertime reflected on our experiences of the day and we all had a sense of fulfillment and elation as we could not have asked for a better experience (even us as we had tears and hesitation to begin with). That night was another hard night for sleeping. I was dealing with emotions of excitement of getting our new child we had waited so long for and also the agony of loss of the children I had left at home. Hally and Brady were deep in my mind this night. I longed to hold and kiss them and to feel their warm touch. Being so far away from them was so extremely hard for this mother's heart, but I looked towards the future knowing we would be reunited soon!

Day 2: Sightseeing and Meeting New Life Long Friends

2009-02-16T05:16:00.000-08:00

Sunday morning we met our driver and our new Ethiopian friend, Alezar so that we could go to church together and go sightseeing. Our intentions were to go to a Evangelical service that was mostly attended by Ethiopians, but spoken in English. We were so disappointed when we learned that the church had moved across town. Alezar reacted quickly and got us to another service that was spoken in English, but very contemporary, diverse in the people in attendance, and similar to what you might find in the states. The pastor had a very good heart and did a great job of preaching the gospel literally to the nations. We then went to lunch at an Italian restaurant that had an art gallery in the restaurant. It is funny to think about eating Italian in Ethiopia, but for 12 years, Ethiopia was occupied by Italians, and it's influence can still be detected today. We then went to two museums and finished the sightseeing day with a round of shopping at the post office area. The shops are lined up and down the street and their owners are anxious for you to come in. The stores are quite peculiar as some are no bigger than a small closet. Others are larger, but would be considered a very small store in the states. This was a great area to shop if you were looking for a variety items. They had bowls, clothing, scarves, carvings, artwork, jewelry, purses, and such. Today, more than yesterday, we had a lot of children asking for food or anything we could give them. I was apprehensive as I have warned not to give especially money. Alezar explained that a lot of the times that the children could be coerced into working for drug dealers or other scams in order to get money. An elderly lady came up to me who appeared to be blind. I gave her some money, and she took my hand into her very frail and soft hand and lead it to her lips as she proceeded to kiss my hand and whisper what I can only imagine were words of thanks. This really penetrated right to my heart. Who am I to be given such a blessing? The children kept following and I asked Alezar if it would be okay to give them chocolate and he agreed that it would be okay. That's when all pandemonium broke loose. Once those kids saw that I had candy, you would have thought I was handing out one hundred dollar bills. It was a little chaotic, but I don't regret doing it one bit.

When we got home, we ate at the hotel. The kebabs and the beef tibes are delicious!!! After dinner we relaxed a while in our room and waited for the other AW families to arrive. I was so excited to meet with these two families, that when the receptionist called to say that the Whitakers had arrived, I raced downstairs and probably scared Michelle with my eagerness as she was trying to get checked into her room. She was very gracious and let me be giddy about seeing them even though they had just been traveling for over 15 hours!!! We decided we would meet later on the outside patio bar area. The Whitakers left to get settled and Kevin and went to the Joners room and introduced ourselves to them. We all eventually congregated on the patio. With the night Ethiopian breeze (which is just about perfect by the way) in our faces, we enjoyed getting to know one another. You know when you meet someone and you know you are going to connect with them easily? That is the way Kevin and I felt about these two precious families. They are all incredible people and felt very privileged and blessed to be in their company. Later I was talking to Michelle and Jessica and told them that we all came here as strangers, but we leave knowing that we will never forget each other for the rest of our lives, and that we share such an amazing and unique bond. We all parted that evening with an intense excitement as we knew that in the morning we would be meeting our children... how in the world did we expect to go to sleep?!!!

We are home!

2009-02-15T12:27:00.000-08:00

Just wanted to give a quick update while Rae is asleep (that felt great to write). We are all safe and sound and a happy family of five!! I have so much to say about what occurred last week, but somehow I don't think words will be able to give justice to the journey that we have been on. I do plan on writing posts in the future reflecting on our experiences... they were absolutely amazing and life changing. To get to the main and most important details though, Rae is absolutely wonderful. Make no mistake as I don't want to mislead anyone into thinking we had a fairy tale scenario where Rae immediately loved us and we all lived happily ever after. Rae has had her world turn upside down on her. Everything she ever knew is gone and she is learning everything in her life all over again perhaps for the third time (or more) in her life. When she first met us, she wanted nothing to do with us. She has warmed up to us, though, fast and is starting to like us more and more with each passing day. One thing is for certain is that the moment that we saw her, we melted into a puddle and felt our hearts burst into a million pieces.

I am feeling very lethargic and tired, so I am signing off for now. Thanks so much for everyone's prayers and posts. We appreciate them so much. Also, a big thanks to Jamie for posting while we were gone. You have been a Godsend during this time!!!

We Love The Blackwells!!!

2009-02-13T10:34:00.000-08:00

I haven't heard anything more, but I did hear (by reading one of the comments) that Kelly called her mom and told her that Rae is more beautiful than the pictures could have ever captured! I also read that Kelly said that she is such a funny little girl!

We cannot wait to meet you, Rae!!!!!!

The Blackwells return this weekend! Please pray for safe travels and for a calm and peaceful toddler on the long flights home! Pray that Kevin and Kelly will not be anxious. Pray for Hally and Brady as they will be meeting their little sister! What a huge transition and a fun homecoming!

No News. . .

2009-02-11T09:44:00.000-08:00

. . .is good news.

I know that all of you are so anxious for news! ME TOO!!! I've been taking my phone with me EVERYWHERE (literally) so that I don't miss another call.

No news is good news. . .I'm thinking that they cannot get internet access and that they are having too much fun with Rae to bother looking further for easier access. I'm so excited for the Blackwell family! What an amazing life journey they are on! I am so proud of them and so happy for them!

Please continue to pray for their safety and their bonding with Rae! What an adjustment for a girl who is walking and just starting to speak (a different language).

They will be home before we know it! I promise to keep you all posted the SECOND I hear from them!

-Jamie Jo

They Met Rae!!!!

2009-02-09T15:07:00.000-08:00

Well, I know that you all are as excited for news as I am and I have some. . .not much, but enough to wet your appetite!

Kevin & Kelly are having problems getting internet access, so I am going to blog for them until they can.

THEY MET RAE TODAY!!!! They got to spend some time with her today and I know they are thrilled. Her message said that they are all great!

She is going to try and call again tonight so that I can pass along more details to you all! Keep praying!

Blessings,
Jamie Jo

We're in Addis!!!

2009-02-07T06:18:00.000-08:00

We arrived safe and sound in Addis about 8:30am (Addis time). We had very good flights, connections, and checking in experiences. Airports always intimidate me, so I was very thankful that we didn't have any glitches. We were able to take our two donation bags that were overweight by 10-20 pounds each for free as well (we didn't even have to ask). The plane trip on Ethiopian was fantastic. They had the best food and the attendants were very friendly. It was heartbreaking to make a stop in Rome and not get off!! Arriving in Ethiopia was also great, too. Finding the visa counter was very easy, but we almost missed the bank to exchange currency. Right before we passed the passport security point (last checkpoint before lobby), I asked an official where to exchange and he pointed me in the right direction. I was able to turn back and get the money we needed. The exchange rate right now is about 11 birr for 1 dollar. This is quite a bit more than we were expecting. When we came out into the airport lobby we found a gentleman (not Robel) holding an America World Adoption sign. He helped us with our bags and took us to our hotel. Along the way we got an eye opening tour of Addis. There were so many sights and scenes to take in. I saw policemen wearing camouflage holding big guns, lots and lots of people walking in the streets and sidewalks, vendors selling their goods, children running in and out of people, beautiful babies strapped to their momma's backs, herds of goats in alleys, goat carcases hanging from shop windows, I really could go on and on. We arrived at our hotel and were checked into our rooms quite quickly and with attentive service. By this time it was about 10:00, and Kevin and I were exhausted. We caved into taking a nap, which we said we weren't going to do, and slept for about three hours. At this time, I have to say that I was feeling a little nervous and a bit scared about my environment, but know we need to go and get some water. So with some hesitancy, we chose a driver from a list our agency gave us and asked him to pick us up. Alezar, who was super, arrives 20 minutes later and I asked him if we could look at traditional clothing (might as well while we're out) as well as get some water. Alezar took us to a market, not the mercado, that sells mostly traditional clothing. I had so much fun walking around and smiling and talking to the people. I was surprised that there were so many who could speak english. Everyone brightens up as we walk buy, and they call out "mother, (or sister; I personally liked mother) come in here". I went into everyone's store who asked. I thought it was interesting that they never called out for Kevin to come in :) When it came time to pay, the bidding began. Alezar started me off, but by my last purchase of the day, I was doing my own bidding (my mom would be proud)!! A kid's or toddler's dress costs about $10-15 and a nice scarf costs about $5-10. After that we went to a very small shop that sold fresh produce and bottled water. We bought 6 large waters for about $3 total. We are now back at the hotel and are going to call it a day. Tomorrow we have plans to go to church with Aleazar, as he goes to a evangelical church that has a service in english. We are also hoping to go to a museum or two. Later we are excited as the two other families, Joners and Whitakers, from America World will be here. It is very surreal to be in the same vicinity as Rae. To know she is just maybe a block or two a way doesn't seem real. I cannot wait to meet her, but am waiting patiently for our big day Monday.

It Doesn't Seem Real!!!

2009-01-30T11:27:00.000-08:00

After all this time we have been waiting, it doesn't seem like our time to travel and get our daughter has actually arrived. But oh has it ever arrived. We are really enjoying putting the final touches to our travel preparations. We've been filling suitcases, shopping, filling prescriptions, shopping, writing notes and details for our kids, getting hotel reservations, and then packing some more. We received an unexpected bonus of having the last four days off from work due to an ice storm, so we have been able to get all the things we needed to get to with patience and with a bit of joy!!! God has been so good to us! I have been nesting like crazy on these days off. Not only have I been getting ready for our journey, but have been able to complete A LOT of small projects around the house and spend time with the family. One important job was putting the finishing touches in the girls' room. Last summer we began ripping out carpet, painting walls, putting wood down and painting the floors, painting pictures, and buying bedding. It has been a fun project!! Hally drew the pictures of her and Rae, and I did the embellishments. It is amazing that in a few short weeks that Rae will be in the room, too!!!

We are hoping to blog while we are in Ethiopia, so check back with us next week!!! PLEASE keep us in your hearts and prayers that we would have safe traveling, that Rae would transition well to her new family, that we would not get sick or hurt, that our children will be strong and protected while we are gone, and that there wouldn't be any unexpected glitches that we haven't foreseen. Thank you!!!!!

What a Day!!

2009-01-22T17:15:00.001-08:00

We were so thankful yesterday to get the news that we passed court and are now the proud parents of Rahel "Rae" Scout Blackwell. That smile was really the inspiration to keep her birth name and to call her Rae as it seems the sun is radiating from her face. We are firming up our travel plans and are leaving the 5th to fly to DC and will be flying to Ethiopia on the 6th. We will be back in Missouri on the 14th with the best Valentine's present our family could ever dream of getting. We have so much to do in the next two weeks, but are thoroughly enjoying every step of planning and preparation for our journey to get Precious Baby Rae!!!

Court Day is Coming Soon!

2009-01-16T12:00:00.000-08:00

Next Wednesday, the 21st, a judge will hear our case and decide whether or not Kevin and I can can be R. Scout's mom and dad. Since Ethiopia is 8 hours ahead of us, this could all be occurring in the wee hours of the morning. I am getting very anxious and feeling the need to be diligent in calling out to God to help us in this situation. Families who have recently have had court appointments last week have not passed. This is very sad. My heart hurts for these families who have waited so long to be with their children.

Please also pray for the Semlows and the Kulps as they have court dates on the 20th. They have been told that they specifically, due to the orphanage their children are from, will need a miracle to pass court this Tuesday. I am praying, praying, praying that these families will receive their mircacle and can be united with their children soon.

All in all, I am feeling great and excited to see how our story will unfold. I am so grateful for all the support that Kevin and I have been getting from friends and family. I appreciate your kind words and prayers. They are definately helping us. I can't wait to show you our little girl. Jamie Jo and I worked on her introduction video/slide show last night and it is so cute!!!

TentativeTravel Date and A Little Inspiration

2009-01-08T15:10:00.000-08:00

I received an email today from our travel coordinator saying that our TTD is February 7-14. YEAH!!! That is three weeks away!!! We are planning on leaving the 5th to fly to DC, stay there a night, and then fly out of DC to Ethiopia on the 6th. All of the advice we were given is to go a day earlier so that our bodies can get used to the time difference before we meet our daughter. PRAY PRAY PRAY for the 21st!!!

I thought I would share an interview of Rick Warren that was forwarded to me via email. It has spoken straight to my heart, and I adore his attitude towards life and relationship with God.

People ask me, What is the purpose of life? And I respond, In a nutshell, life is preparation for eternity. We were made to last forever, and God wants us to be with Him in Heaven. One day my heart is going to stop, and that will be the end of my body - but not the end of me. I may live 60 to 100 years on earth, but I am going to spend trillion of years in eternity. This is the warm-up act, the dress rehearsal. God wants us to practice on earth what we will do forever in eternity. We were made by God and for God, and until you figure that out, life isn't going to make sense.

Life is a series of problems: Either you are in one now, you're just coming out of one or you're getting ready to go into another one. The reason for this is that God is more interested in your character than your comfort. God is more interested in making your life holy than He is in making your life happy. We can be reasonably happy here on earth, but that's not the goal of life: The goal is to grow in character, In Christ-likeness.

This past year has been the greatest year of my life but also the toughest, with my wife, Kay, getting cancer. I used to think that life was hills and valleys - you go through a dark time, then you got to the mountaintop, back and forth. I don't believe that anymore. Rather than life being hills and valleys, I believ'e that it's kind of like two rails on a railroad track, and at all times you have something good and something bad in your life. No matter how good things are in your life, there is always something bad that needs to be worked on.

And no matter how bad things are in your life, there is always something good you can thank God for. You can focus on your purposes, or you can focus on your problems. If you focus on your problems, you're going into self-centeredness, "which is my problem, my issues, my pain."

But one of the easiest ways to get rid of pain is to get your focus off yourself and onto God and others.

We discovered quickly that in spite of the prayers of hundreds of thousands of people, God was not going to heal Kay or make it easy for her. It has been very difficult for her, and yet God has strengthened her character, given her a ministry of helping other people, given her a testimony, drawn her closer to Him and to people...You have to learn to deal with both the good and the bad of life.

Actually, sometimes learning to deal with the good is harder. For instance, this past year, all of a sudden, when the book sold 15 million copies, it made me instanfly very wealthy. It also brought a lot of notoriety that I had never had to deal with before.

I don't think God gives you money or notoriety for you to own ego or for you to live a life of ease. So I began to ask God what He wanted me to do with this money, notoriety and influence. He gave me two different passages that helped me decide what to do, Corinthians 9 and Psalm 72.

First, in spite of all the money coming in, we would not change our lifestyle one bit. We made no major purchases. Second, about midway through last year, I stopped taking a salary from the church. Third, we set up foundations to fund an initiative we call The Peace Plan - to plant churches, equip leaders, assist the poor, care for the sick, and educate the next generation. Fourth, I added up all that the church had paid me in the 24 years since I started the church, and I gave it all back. It was liberating to be able to serve God for free.

We need to ask ourselves: Am I going to live for possessions? Popularity? Am I going to be driven by pressures? Guilt? Bitterness? Materialism? Or am I going to be driven by God's purposes (for my life)?

When I get up in the morning, I sit on the side of my bed and say, God, if I don't get anything else done today, I want to know You more and love You better...God didn't put me on earth just to fulfil a to-do list. He's more interested in what I am than what I do. That's why we're called human beings, not human doings.

More Updates

2008-12-29T17:53:00.000-08:00

Becky Burk, who was recently in Ethiopia, wrote these updates updates about R. Scout.

Blackwells – your girl is a hoot. She also is very animated and on the go so it's hard to get a picture of her with her in constant motion. Her smile is killer and I just adore her. She played with the families the entire time. She actually was awake when we got there and I walked into the toddler room, she immediately put her arms out to be picked up. She would crawl into people's laps and set up shop J

My fam all laugh at this comment because if you know our kids, you know that they are VERY busy and always energetic. She will fit right in!!! Here is another entry:

Blackwells - R. is such a treat. She's so smiley and want to play with the big kids but gets her feelings hurt easily when they want to take her toys or they won't share. She's a cuddle bug.

Thank you, Becky!!! Your attention to detail and the time you spent getting to know and love on our children is deeply appreciated!!!

Court Date

2008-12-20T06:28:00.000-08:00

We got one!!! We received an email yesterday saying that we have a court date on January 21, 2009. If we pass and adopt R. Scout on that date, then we will travel 2.5 to 4 weeks after the 21st. They also told us that if we don't pass court that date (30% of all families don't pass the 1st time), a new date will be scheduled 1 to 2 months after our original court date. To me, that just says how crucial it is that we pass the first time. Please pray for this!!!!!!

We Got Our First Update!!!

2008-12-18T12:36:00.000-08:00

I was so thrilled this morning to receive an email from Terra with our first update. Here is what it said:

R. Scout is just about the cutest little thing you've ever seen walking
around. She is SO happy, playful, and fun. She loves to tease, laugh,
and cuddle.

I also received a message from Karen Wistrom:

Your daughter was the most social, smiley, happy little girl. She has got such a great personality and loved to be held and cuddled. Your daughter and Whittier's daughter were vying for the center position on my daughters' laps! She was such a happy, sweet natured little girl. You will be so blessed.

This was the BEST early Christmas EVER!!! This will definitely get me through another 4 weeks!

Just in case you noticed, I had to take the "Through The Green Doors" title off my blog as our agency has moved the transition home to a bigger facility. This is great as the new facility will be able to hold more children so referrals will happen more frequently!!!

Almost Four Weeks

2008-12-10T18:13:00.000-08:00

It's hard to believe, but it has almost been four weeks since we got our referral. Our coordinator told us that we would be contacted within two weeks, but that has not happened. In the meantime, we have been praying for R. Scout like crazy. Since she is a toddler, we have to brace ourselves for some transitional and attachment issues. PLEASE pray with us that God would be preparing our hearts and R. Scout's heart to one another. We also have been enjoying new pictures taken by families picking up their children. I cannot tell you how much I appreciate them. This week the Hutchinsons sent us pictures of R. Scout receiving her care package that we sent with them. When she was looking at the photo album (of us) I wish I could tell you that she had the same reaction that we had when we saw her. Quite the contrary actually. If I could give her words, she might be saying something like "Is this who I'm going to be living with?". HA! I am hoping that really she was interrupted in something that she would rather be doing. Reguardless, it is fun to see her many expressions as there is quite a range (quite like a typical toddler).

Thankfulitus!!!

2008-11-26T05:41:00.000-08:00

I've got it bad my friends!! I have so much to be thankful for... a great husband, THREE wonderful children, and FANTASTIC FRIENDS AND FAMILY!!!

We have been struggling with a name for our 16 month old. She has a beautiful name that was given to her by her bio family. As of right now, we are going to keep that as her first name and use Scout as her middle name. We cannot share her name (or photo) on this blog until she is legally adopted in Ethiopia. Speaking of this, we have not heard any info from our agency. Hopefully we'll hear something next week letting us know when our tentative travel date is scheduled. We are praying and hoping that our court process in Ethiopia will be expedited and only have to go to court ONCE (some families have gone over 6 times)!!!!

This wait for me is definitely harder than waiting for the referral. I stare at R. Scout's picture at least a dozen times a day. I just want to hop onto a plane and go get our girl!!! I have a lot of respect for the families who received their referrals in the summer and had to wait until October or November (some are still waiting) to pick up their kids... that is painful to think about!!!

A Little More Details!!!

2008-11-19T16:12:00.000-08:00

Pheww!! What a past couple of days the Blackwells have had!!! I did not realize how much my world would change in such a short time. Last Friday started off a little rocky as my son was not feeling very well, and I was finally wearing down and starting to feel like we might not ever receive a referral. Through most of this journey, I have really tried to keep an upbeat attitude, but it came to an end last Friday. During my lunch break, I gave in and had myself a little pity party, shed a few tears, and complained to my steadfast husband, who was at home taking care of our sick child. By 2:30, I had shuffled the last of my students out the door, and I was beginning to think of all the things I had to do over the weekend. I noticed one of my dear friends, Kristen, down the hall preparing for our daughters' Girl Scout meeting and decided I would help her set up. She was setting up in a room that is only used for meetings and such. I noticed the phone was ringing, but decided not to answer it as I thought someone dialed the wrong phone number. Moments later our school secretary speaks through the room's intercom system and said that I had a very important phone call. My heart skips a little, but I decide that this is probably a parent or one of my bosses needing something. I answer the phone, "This is Kelly Blackwell". I hear a pause, and I know it's our referral call. I hear a voice, "This is Terra Bailey. I have Kevin on the line and this is your referral call". I cover my mouth and instantaneously I start to sob uncontrollably. Kristen rushes to me and asks if I am okay. Terra begins to inform us that she is looking at the most beautiful two and half year old baby girl and her birth date was in '07 (Jamie Jo later helps me realize that she indeed is only one and half years old). I am still sobbing profusely but manage to mouth to Kristen that we have a baby girl. Terra continues to give us more information of what to expect in the future, and I can only get out "thank you and I'll see you at home, Kevin". I hang up and can only think of how fast I can get home. I rush into Hally's classroom and motion for her to get her things and go. She, fortunately, was packed up, and only had to swing her backpack over her shoulder and zip off. When we get into the hallway, I squeal out that we got our baby girl. She starts to giggle with extreme delight and cannot stop. I have only heard and seen her laugh like this one other time, and it was when she first saw her baby brother, Brady. All the way out to the car, we are being applauded with congratulations and hugs from friends at work, and Hally is still giggling until she finally succumbs to tears of joy. The ride home seemed like the longest trip we have ever made to get home. We got behind every slow car out in Branson, and we had to back track and take another route to get home due to a car accident. When we finally get home, Hally and I rush to the basement, where Kevin and Brady are waiting, and we all have our eyes glued on the email with the subject stating "today is the day". Oh, indeed it was. Click. We saw the most incredible set of brown eyes and radiant smile on a little one year old. Picture after picture, she is literally beaming off our computer screen. There was no doubt in our minds that this was our child. I know that it sounds weird but she actually looks like us. She has an expression, almost facetious, that our son gives a lot and that is when I knew that this was a Blackwell!!

What now? The process of finalizing paperwork and arranging travel plans is a definite, but the time line in which this will be done is not being disclosed to us at the present. We are praying for Godspeed, and we are asking that you would do the same!!!

WE GOT "THE" CALL!!!!!

2008-11-14T17:18:00.000-08:00

At 2:35 we got the most amazing phone call to let us know that we have a 16 month old daughter, Scout. She is absolutely RADIANT with the most beautiful smile (with a mouth full of teeth). We are sooooo excited and can't wait to share pictures with you all!!!!

9 Months!!!

2008-11-10T05:52:00.000-08:00

Last Saturday, we have been waiting 9 months. Just like a full term pregnancy, I am ready for the baby!!! I am very hopeful that we will get a referral this month, and I talked to our adoption coordinator and she feels the same way!!

Today is 8 Months Waiting....

2008-10-08T19:36:00.000-07:00

....and one more day closer to meeting our daughter!!

Is Adoption an Emotion?

2008-09-24T19:46:00.000-07:00

Right along with being happy, sad, or melancholy, sometimes I wonder if adoption is a state of being that takes on a whole new way of feeling that can't be described. I know that what I just proposed is not to be taken literally, but I just have to wonder sometimes. What I have learned through all of the ups and downs of adoption is to LOVE today. God has designed this day, September 24, 2008, to be the day that He has waited for thousands of years to make. And even though it is 10pm and almost over, I need to appreciate the value of today and what He is doing now. Sometimes we can get caught up with trying to hurry up to get to the next faze, goal, or whatever benchmark we're trying to get to, that we forget that THIS day might be what He has been trying to get us to. Even though it may seem insignificant and uneventful, I don't want to miss IT!! I really want to see what He is doing and understand the journey He has me on. In reflecting on the experience we had last week, I am able to see how God has used it for good. When we were considering this young man, we also settled it in our hearts that we would adopt an infant girl as well. When we learned we wouldn't be able to adopt the older child, we couldn't let go of the idea of adopting a baby girl. So, I am thankful for this day; for on this day the things I am learning and the things that are happening are having an effect on my tomorrow ;)

Answered Prayer

2008-09-19T04:11:00.000-07:00

This has been quite the emotional week for Kevin and I. We had been praying and opening up our hearts to the possibility of having the young man that we asked everyone to pray for. We really felt led to pursue him. Somehow, the young man was referred to another family. We were absolutely shocked, and I personally was devastated. BUT, I know God allowed this to happen, and we are trusting in Him to take care of it all; especially this young man in Ethiopia. He is definitely in our hearts and prayers.

Please Pray!!!

2008-09-13T09:09:00.000-07:00

To make a long story short, we are considering adopting a boy who is 5 (ish) who is also hearing impaired. We would also be adopting an infant as well, so we really need God to guide us. PLEASE PRAY!!! We know that this would have a huge impact on our family, so your prayers would be much appreciated!!!

Three Little Birds!!!

2008-09-01T07:28:00.000-07:00

I have been reading the new testament in sequential order, and last Friday I read 2John and 3John, and then came across JUDE (Jude will be the name we use if our child is a boy). It was like the words were jumping off the page for me. It said, "Relax, everything's going to be all right; rest, everything's coming together; open your hearts, love is on the way!" (the Message). I'm crying with a big smile on my face while humming that Bob Marley tune in my head!! Later that day, several families get referrals, and guess who jumps into the top five for a baby? Relax, it is all coming together I tell myself. I don't have a single thing planned yet. No baby room. No shopping done. Everything is going to be all right I tell myself. I wonder if it will be a boy or a girl? Open your heart, love is on the way, I remind myself!!! I cannot tell you how thankful I am that God gave me that special verse, and no kidding, I feel like I am walking around with that "don't worry about a thing, cause every little thing is gonna be all right" in the background!!!

We're Getting Closer!!

2008-08-28T16:32:00.000-07:00

My fun YG friends have created a list of where adoptive families are in the waiting process and the Blackwell's have made it to the top 10!!! That is so exciting!!! We could get a referral next month or maybe even tomorrow!!! I can't believe that I will finally get to see a picture of our baby, and to call our baby by name! Just to fill in those of you who aren't aware of what we have ahead of us, we will not be able to get our child until sometime in December (maybe a little earlier or later). The courts are closed until Oct 7, and we have to legally adopt our child before we travel. So even though we will be placed with a child sometime soon, we still have quite a bit of waiting to do.

T shirt update... Jamie ordered some new colors and I love them!! The gray shirt is a fitted shirt, but the rest are unisex and run true to size. THANK YOU so much to all of you that ordered them... it has been fun to see you wear them!!!

Night Out!!

2008-08-11T15:43:00.000-07:00

It was so incredible to get together with some amazing individuals, who just happen to be adopting (have adopted) from Ethiopia too. It was so wonderful to meet Kassie and the Semlows, and to see the Gillmans, Gibsons, and Martins. I could have stayed there and talked all night!! You all are wonderful people!!!!

An Update is Due!!

2008-08-03T14:16:00.000-07:00

My sister in law (miss you already, DeeDee) reminded me this weekend that my blog has not been updated since April, so I thought it might be a good idea to give a tiny update. Referrals are coming right along at America World. A family who had their paperwork turned in a couple weeks ahead of us just received a referral (YEA, Caldwells), so we are hoping for a referral in the next couple of months. Kim and Alisa have also informed me that we are within the top 10 to 15 of families waiting. Courts will close next week for a couple of months, so if we get a referral soon, we still would not travel for another two or three months. Really I am clueless as I do not know what kind of effect the court's closing have on the whole process. We are content on waiting for whatever comes our way. I have to admit that when I found out the Caldwells got their referral, I have started to increasingly get more and more jittery. Like at any minute I could get the phone call. I told Kevin that I feel like I have done a pretty good job of being patient and keeping my emotions under control. This is really not in my nature. I was the kid who unwrapped all of her Christmas presents and wrapped them all back up before the big day. I think that knowing myself that if I don't keep myself under control, that I will not be able to real myself back in. What a mess that would be!! BUT, when we do get that phone call, Lord have mercy on the poor soul that is nearest me, as I have a feeling I will cause serious hearing damage from all my screaming!!! God has really done some awesome things in our adoption process. About the time we finished with our dossier, we were tempted to switch agencies as other agencies were apparently giving out referrals at a much quicker rate. Kevin and I prayed about it, and felt very strongly to stay with AW. At the time we couldn't understand it because we wouldn't have been "out" very much money. We assumed we would have gotten a referral (with the new agency they were telling families it would be a 2-3 month wait for referrals) in the Spring and traveled in the summer. It seemed perfect for two teachers. If we stayed with AW, then we were sure we wouldn't get a referral until the Fall or after; hence, I would have to take a lot of unpaid maternity leave by staying with AW. Since we did not feel at peace with switching, we have stayed with AW. Recently we have heard that the other agency we were thinking of using has been under investigation for child trafficking, so we thank God for not letting us have peace!!! Also, my dear friend, Jamie Jo, took my hand drawn sketch of a t shirt design and took care of all the details in getting them printed. JJ is a director of a camp in Colorado, and has been selling the shirts there. Evidently they have been selling like MAD!!! Every time they get a new order, they sell out within a couple of days. Isn't that crazy? Even more crazy is that one of their campers is Jordin Sparks, and she liked the shirt and wanted to help out AnNi so much that she is going to wear it to the Nickolodeon Teen Choice Awards tonight. She is nominated for three awards, so our shirt is going to be on TV. The show will air on Monday on Fox. Isn't that completely RIDICULOUS?

Occupying Our Time

2008-04-18T10:55:00.000-07:00

People are always asking what our status is in the adoption. I wish I had more to say, but I don't. This kind of waiting is very untangible for me. With Hally and Brady, I had doctor appointments, weeks to count, and many other milestones to encourage me that the their beginings were going to occur. This kind of pregnancy is almost like walking in a dark tunnel and trying to find the exit. You know there is an exit and a time when you'll get out of the tunnel, but you just don't know when it will be. Mentally, I keep telling myself that it is going to be a long walk and to just get used to walkin'. In doing that, I'm trying to find the joy of being in the tunnel, and so far I feel like I've been pretty succesful. I meet with an adoption group once a month that I just LOVE!! We all get along like old friends, and I look forward to knowing them more. Being around Jamie Jo, Gabby, and family has helped see what coming out of the tunnel looks like, and helps me to realize God's way or plan is so much better than mine. I have also been planning/designing a fund raiser t shirt and necklace that I will be displaying on my blog shortly. Jamie has also designed a shirt that I have displayed it to the right. Isn't it AWESOME?!!! It will be sold at AnNi Designs http://annifororphans.com/ by June. Proceeds from the shirt will be going to help fund our adoption. My future plans will be to complete our fund raisers and read books on adoption. Pray for us that we continue this whole journey with strength and a great attitude. We covet these dearly!!

I've been TAGGED by Alisa!!

2008-03-22T08:30:00.000-07:00

Here are the rules: If you get tagged, you will need to write 10 fact s about yourself and then tag 5 other blogs to do the same. Here goes my 10...

1. I have moved 9 different times in my lifetime... My dad was in the Air Force.

2. The first time I saw Kevin, I knew I would marry him. I even told my parents, and they thought I was absolutely CRAZY!!! That was in 1992, and I was 18 years old; he was 21.

3. I am a Jesus FREAK!! He is the most amazing person I have ever met.

4. I absolutely adore my children.

5. I started off in college as an art student.

6. I love flea markets, purses, photography, i tunes, coffee in the morning, German Shepherds, chocolate, fixing up old things, going on dates with my husband, and t shirts.

7. I'm a Jane Austin junky.

8. I used to want to be in a rock band...

9. I love my church, James River. I love their passion for Christ and for the lost.

10. I love seeing a child do something they didn't think they were capable of doing.

You Know You Should Adopt If...

2008-03-04T10:09:00.000-08:00

I stole this from Jana's blog... LOVE it!!

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 half-way 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

Green Doors

2008-02-22T15:14:00.000-08:00

For those of you who don't know, the picture above is of the doors that lead to the transition home for children being adopted through AW. Kevin and I will will someday be walking through these doors to meet our child. What an exciting thought!! Thank you, Penelope, for letting me use your wonderful picture. I love reading their blog (Carpenter Family), and learn from their experiences. It gives me a glimpse of what is yet to come.

Mission Accomplished

2008-02-15T09:14:00.000-08:00

We have been tracking our dossier, and it is in Ethiopia!! In the mail yesterday we received a letter from AW with copies of the federal authentication. It was so cool to see Condaleeza Rice's signature on the copies; although my husband's only comment was that her handwriting is too messy. We are now in the big wait of receiving our referral. The AW website says we will wait 3-6 months for this. My friend Kristin says that my feet look swollen and that I need to buy more "pregnancy" outfits... I like the way she thinks!!

Godspeed, Sweet Dossier!!

2008-02-09T06:29:00.000-08:00

I got an email yesterday from Duni saying that our dossier was shipped off to Ethiopia!! From reading posts from the YG, I think it will take about a week for it to arrive in Addis. I'm starting to feel more official now that the paperwork is now working for me instead of me working on it. I also am getting those funky baby dreams I got while pregnant with Hally and Brady. Last week I dreamt that we received our baby ( in my dream it was a girl) in the mail!!! Oh, if only it were that easy!!!

Bittersweet Goodbye!!

2008-01-30T07:34:00.000-08:00

Monday afternoon I took my first trip to the Secretary of State branch office in Springfield to get my 20 some documents authenticated. I got there at 2ish and by 4:30 they were complete. The good news was that all but one came back authenticated. The bad news, of course, was that one had an error on the notary section. The notary who notarized our I-171H put the current year as 2009, so I had to get it re-notarized with the correct year of 2008. I did this on Tuesday and then went back to Springfield to get it authenticated by the SOS. In the scheme of things that was a very minor hiccup. It could have been a lot worse!!!!!

Yesterday at around 4pm I said goodbye to our dossier at the FedEx store in Springfield. What a variety of emotions that I was feeling. I didn't want to let it go, but I certainly did not want to keep it either. It just seemed so weird to hand off almost 5 months of paperwork (not to mention the thousands of doallars that was required to compile them) to a complete stranger. Right now I am so glad to know they are almost in Virginia, and I am excited about what the future holds due to the perseverance and work that went into our dossier will produce. We are getting a CHILD!!!

The Best is Yet to Come!!

2008-01-28T16:38:00.001-08:00

We were absolutely stunned last Friday to check the mail box and see that our I-171H had arrived. We are in total gratitude to God for having grace with us in that He is speeding our journey along. The last post I left, I titled "Godspeed", and I meant it as whatever God chooses as far as timing goes. From the title you would think I meant lightening speed, but I think God works a little slowly at times too. Godspeed is all I want. His perfect timing. As far as our I-171H goes, we certainly got the speedy timing!! This form was not supposed to come until March, and I was mentally preparing myself to turn in our dossier in at the end of March. Now it looks like we should be able to turn it in at the end of the week.... WOOO HOO!

Godspeed

2008-01-21T15:52:00.000-08:00

We're getting a little closer every day. On December 27th we went to KC to the USCIS office to turn in our I-600A application and get fingerprinted. This is just about one of the last things we have to do (on our part) as far as paper work is concerned. We should hear back from the USCIS anywhere from 3-9 more weeks. We then will take all our documents to an office in Springfield where they will be authenticated. After we do that, off our dossier will go to McLean, VA where it will be authenticated by the federal government. That my friends (as far as I know) will complete our dossier. It will be shipped to Ethiopia, and we will begin the real wait for the referral of our child. Since the last time I wrote, Kevin and I decided not to request specifically for a female. We thought if God truely wanted us to have another daughter, then that's what we would get. Just in case God chooses for us a son, we have come up with the name Jude Baruk. Baruk is an Ethiopian name that Leoul was going to use for his own son, but never did. It means "blessing".

Progress

2007-11-29T16:29:00.000-08:00

What a busy time of the year!! So much has happened in the last few weeks. Just recently we have had our last home visit, and our home study is just about complete. We received an email today with the first draft of our home study attached. We should be completly finished and ready to send it off to the USCIS within a couple of weeks. Really we don't have a lot to do except WAIT. I am getting used to that word!! Whenever we send something off, we wait until we get it back and then send it off again somewhere else and wait again. Right now we are waiting on my birth certificate and the agency recommnedation form to come back from being certified.
On a more interesting topic, a couple of weeks ago, Kevin's roomate from college came with his lovely wife and three kids. His roomate, Leoul and his wife Koni are native Ethiopians. They were very excited and encouraging over our decision to adopt from their homeland. Leoul and his family are excited about embracing our family as we all will try to help Scout learn about her cultural heritage. Leoul belongs to an Ethiopian Christian church in St. Louis where they live. This is exciting to us because there is an established group of believers that we can network with while raising Scout. Leoul also gave us some ideas of traditions we could start in our home to tie Scout's heritage into our family. Evidently, Ethiopians celebrate just about every holiday seven days after we do. Kevin was pretty enthused about the idea of celebrating Christmas two times this year. I need some time to think about that!!

Our Home Study Application

2007-11-05T12:52:00.000-08:00

This week we should be able to turn in our home study application and schedule our home visits. I've been told that compiling the paper work for the home study is the most time consuming, so it is definitely good to be almost finished with that! I am hoping that we did it correctly and won't need to go back and do something over!!

PAPERWORK FRENZY!!!

2007-10-27T14:07:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it has been so long since my last post. We are definitely in the thick of our paper pregnancy. Overall, I would have to say that it has not been so bad. Kevin is almost completely done with his part. All he has left is his autobiography. I am having my tuberculosis test with the kids tomorrow and have my physical on Wednesday. We sent off for all of our police/FBI reports today, and I am going to send all of our birth and marriage certificates this week to be certified by their respective secretary's of state. The home study packet should be finished in a week, and then we'll be ready for home visits by our case worker. Once that is completed and typed we'll be able to send in our dossier. I am sure I am missing a couple of steps there, but I think we should wrap up the paper part by January being the earliest.

God has been so good to surround us by families who are adopting. I am so thrilled for one of my friends, Jamie Jo, who is very close to being in Rwanda (literally on her way there) to pick up her precious baby girl, CiCi. She has been a life saver in guiding me through the paper work frenzy and has really enabled me to take the frenzy OUT! I was very touched that she without a flinch handed over her binder containing her dossier and homestudy and told me to look at hers to help out with mine. She did say though, that if my house burns down to grab this binder before I get my kids :) Another friend, Kari, has been a God send as well. She wrote a post in our Ethiopia Yahoo Group explaining all the "coincidences" we shared. We recently started playing bunko together, her son is in my husband's class, go to the same BIG church, and then to find out we are both going to be adopting from Ethiopia. I feel blessed that God would think enough to place others in my life to be a support and to allow them to weave their life threads into the blanket of my life. It's amazing!!!

Why Africa?

2007-10-12T18:07:00.000-07:00

Kevin and I have been asked that question quite frequently lately. Some also wonder why we are not adopting in the United States. I know that I have not addressed that question as intelligently as I could have or maybe should have. So many issues have been on our minds. It has been a feat to get to the point where we are at right now. So many times we struggled with doing what we thought would be best for our family. There are so many considerations when contemplating adoption. What about the costs? What about the emotional stability of a child who could need intense attention and patience due to a hard first few months of life? What about our kids adapting to a new member of the family? Believe me the list goes on and on. The bottom line is that God put this into our hearts, and we have to be true and honor what we believe God wants to do in our lives. The details will fall into place. That doesn't mean it will be smooth sailing, but it does mean that we have the assurance that God will be with us and give us wisdom when we encounter the waves.

Now to Ethiopia. Ethiopia is leading the continent of Africa as having the most orphans. Currently there are over 4 million orphans. Most are orphaned because of extreme poverty due to drastic drought and flooding, but about half a million are orphaned by parents who died of HIV/AIDs. By 2010 over 18 million Africans will be orphaned by AIDS. When we decided to adopt, the biggest considerations that came into place were who has a need and where is God drawing us to. We knew we wanted an infant, so we felt confident that the babies in the United States have an excellent chance of being adopted. We were first drawn to China, but when the time came closer to making a decision, China became more intensive to adopt from (up to a four year wait to adopt). When we noticed that America World began an adoption program in Ethiopia, there was an immediate feeling of "this could be it". After weighing the options and lots of prayer, we felt like this was where our paths were heading toward. In the scheme of things it may seem insignificant to be helping just one of millions, but I can't help but thinking of how Scout will feel about this some day. To know that she was one in a million who was given a different way out of a desperate situation.

Moving Right Along

2007-10-11T13:00:00.000-07:00

We're feeling official a little more each day. Last night we got a call from our Home Study Coordinator, Steffany. She told me that I will be getting a call from a Local Home Study Case Worker, Shannon, to set up the first of three meetings. A part of compiling our home study is attending a workshop in KC. Since they only have these workshops once a month and the workshop date in November conflicts with previous made plans, Kevin and I are dropping everything and attending the October workshop which just happens to be in two days!!! This will be informative because they address topics like attachment and bonding, talking about adoption with your child, issues in adopting trans-racially and trans-culturally, and other issues pertaining to adoption. This weekend we will also get our home study packet, so we will be quickly immersed in paper work. I kind of feel that my job as a special education teacher has been preparing me for this moment. If you know anything about Special Education Teachers, you know that we reign supreme as the queens/kings in the area of tedious paper work, so bring it on!!!

We're In!!

2007-09-25T05:01:00.000-07:00

WOO HOO, We have been officially accepted into the America World Ethiopia Adoption Program!!! We were told that we will have to fill out some initial paperwork, sign agreements, and make our first payment to get Scout. After that we will begin compiling our dossier (international adoption application)and completing our home study. This is such an exciting time in our family's lives. God has been so good to us, and has joined us with other families who are adopting or have already adopted. Please pray for Scout, the finances to support this endeavor, and that the home study and the compiling of the dossier would be put together without a mistake and in a timely fashion. We are thankful for all our friends and family who are encouraging and praying for us through this magnificent journey!!!

We Turned In Our Application!

2007-09-06T09:53:00.000-07:00

On Sunday, September 2, 2007, Kevin led our family in a prayer, and then Hally pressed the enter button on our computer to send our adoption application to America World. We are all very excited as we have been praying about this for TWO YEARS!!! Even before we started praying for this two years ago, Kevin and I knew that we would adopt some day. It is exciting that our process begins now. The next step is to hear back from America World stating whether or not we have been accepted into their adoption program.

We have requested a baby girl under the age of 12 months from the nation of Ethiopia. We are hoping and praying to get her by the end of 2008. Tentatively, her name will be Scout Clover. We gave Hally the task of picking out her middle name, and before we could offer her suggestions, she immediately chose her own and mother's middle name, Clover. It is also the first name of my aunt and great aunt. Scout is the name of one of my favorite book characters from To Kill A Mockingbird. It is also so appropriate because we are on the look out for this wonderful addition to our family.