Still waiting.....

Well, we are still waiting to hear when we will go for our court date! I am mentally and physically so ready- I would be ready to go tomorrow!!! But, God says.... wait. I just keep trying to remember this, "God makes everything beautiful in HIS time." This is what is written on a little thing that sits on an easel sitting on a table right by my favorite chair, where I read and sit while on the computer most of the time. It helps to read it. But I am human, and my human self wants the call 5 minutes ago and I want to leave tomorrow! I CAN't wait to hold our baby! I want to touch the cheeks I have heard about from so many others and the fat little legs and look into the smiling eyes! I can't wait to share her pictures here! The visiting families she has had tell me she is already wearing 9 month clothes.... and only 4 months old, she IS one of my children! I think my kids are wondering if this will ever happen.... Harrison wanted to sleep with the "baby Jillian doll"- it's the softest little brown baby doll- I couldn't help but take his pic.- even though it is pink! We are waiting on an update on her health, growth, development, a few new pics, etc. from our agency any day now... families usually get them at the end of the month- I will share when I receive it. I am trying to remain focused on life here.... but it is HARD! my heart has a space in it that will only be filled when I hold her for the first time!!! Better yet, when we bring her home! Please keep praying that we hear soon and that we pass the first time! Then, hopefully 5 weeks later we can bring her home for good!

More Summer

 
 
 

Summer Time

 
 
 
 

Great NEWS!!!

Today we got the email we've been waiting for! Anna from our agency told us that ALL of our documents, including Jillian's birth certificate that we have been awaiting, were submitted to Ethiopian court at the end of last week. We will hear when our court day will be within 1-2 weeks. She said court dates were currently being scheduled for early/mid JULY!!! Two other families with referral dates close to ours got court dates for next Friday, July 2..... SO.... this means we could go to court as soon as July 5!!! WOW..... The neat part about this, is our friends, The Belote's also got the SAME email!!! We SO want to travel with them and it is such a good possibility.... so we are going to start packing! Please pray we pass court the first time! We could be meeting our sweet girl in less than two weeks! Sunday night our agency chat group held a prayer vigil online... it was such a sweet experience.... we lifted up every part of this process for all of the families with our agency, AWAA.... well, all I can say is: PRAYER CHANGES THINGS!!!! Thank you, Lord!!!

twiddling our thumbs.......

Just more waiting to hear about when our court date will be..... Praying, hoping and wishing it will be this week.... aching to hold her....its getting harder!

What we do while we wait.......

First of all, we had a very informative conference call yesterday concerning why we haven't received a court date yet. For the people now having to travel to Ethiopia for to appear in court, that would be us.... they now have to have a birth certificate to submit to court with the other paperwork to get a court date. This is what we are waiting on right now. They have all of the other paperwork needed for Jillian's case, just waiting on her birth certificate.... please pray they get it fast! Then they will apply for a court date, when they get one, they will tell us and we will prepare to travel for our first trip, which will be about one week. Please also pray we pass the first time. 50-60% of people pass the first time. The ones who don't pass usually pass within a few weeks. After we pass court, paperwork is gathered and submitted to the US Embassy- they will decide if there will be an investigation about Jillian's individual case. If no investigation is needed, we will go 5-6 weeks after passing court, if investigation is needed we will go 10-12 weeks after passing court. There you have it in a big nutshell! So, we need to get a birth certificate and we need to pass court!!!
We have had a busy start to our summer..... lots of staying up late and sleeping in! Lots of Softball and T-ball playing, swimming, trampoline jumping, basically whatever we want to do when we want to do it- "FUN having"--- This is the last time I get to spend with just Harrison and Isabelle..... so we are living it up! Enjoy the pictures of some of our adventures!