A new season

Trick or Treat

2009-11-01T07:32:00.001-05:00

Update~

2009-08-17T21:11:00.006-04:00

3 months have passed and we are definitely feeling like a family these days. For the most part, all the health issues are clearing up, and that has really helped us get settled. Malachi and Ava had diahrrea for more than 2 months, which kept us all running in circles. They had Giardia and Crypto - Whoa!!! And of course, it had to work its way through our entire family. Double whoa! On top of that, Malachi has kidney reflux which caused a terrible UTI. We're still waiting to hear what the game plan is for the reflux. We hope it's just antibiotics for awhile. Ummm, let's see - what else? His liver enzymes are VERY high. The doctors aren't sure if it's from Hep A (assuming he came home with it) or if it's something else. We're in the midst of ultrasounds and bloodwork for that. His cardio work-up went well and the heart murmur is from a small hole in his heart that shouldn't cause him any problems in the future. We've been to see 5 specialists. I'm exhausted from all the doc appts and labs. Time for a break!

We've had company in town over the last 3 weeks and I wanted to post a few pics. The kids are so happy and really "nestling" right into our lives. We're just ALL in love with them. Malachi follows me all over the house, repeating everything I say. He never answers a question, but instead just repeats. I'll ask, "Do you want more?" and he says "more?". "Do you need to go potty?" "Potty?". I feel like I'm guessing his answers all day, but he's communicating more and more. It's been really neat to see him transition words over from Amharic. He used to say "makeenah" all day long for car and now he just says "car" with his rolled rrrrrr all day long. So cute. Ava started taking steps this week. She is definitely going through the separation anxiety stage. I can hardly set her down. But of course, I'm all too happy to dote on her. She needs doting! She is precious.

All Stars- Here We Come!!

2009-07-26T17:40:00.004-04:00

Grace and Thatcher did Swim Team this summer at our neighborhood pool and we had so much fun watching them learn and compete in their events. They both swam freestyle and backstroke. This past weekend was Divisionals and Grace qualified for Individual Free, 4X Relay Free, and Individual Backstroke. Thatcher was close, but being one of the youngest on the team, this wasn't his year for Divisionals.

Saturday was the big day and Gracie's Relay team won 1st place. Woohoo! She was the 2nd leg and while her stroke looks a little slow, it's her kicking that gets her there quickly. She was thrilled! Only thing is: Now she gets to swim in the All Stars this coming Saturday. She actually cried about it, because she's ready for Swim Team to be over. It's a lot of practices and early mornings on Saturdays. Well, we can't let her Relay Team down, so we'll be there and we'll let you know how it goes. Here's a video of her leg of the Free Relay. Go Gracie!!!!

June

2009-07-06T21:28:00.005-04:00

I want to post an update again soon, but for now, here are more pictures.

Potty training?

2009-06-09T16:43:00.003-04:00

Not sure if I want to focus on potty training right now with Malachi, but on his own, he's halfway there, so I'm trying to help him get the hang of heading toward the potty when it's time to go. Sometimes it works like a charm, sometimes not so much. Em suggested I put him in big boy underwear while she was here, since there would be extra hands. I can't say I've kept it up now that she's gone, b/c 2 accidents in a 2 hour span was enough for me to throw in the towel for a bit. Anyway, here's a great pic of Malachi. Is that a smile I see? He smiles more and more, but it's REALLY hard to capture it on film. Look at his pearly whites. He has a great smile!

Settling in...

2009-06-07T19:02:00.006-04:00

Well, we've been home for 3 weeks, and had our new babies for a month. Wow! It's flying by! I thought I would sit down and fill you in on how life has been, but my little precious girl has found me and wants in my lap. SO, it will just be picture time. We've managed to get to the beach (with Emmy's help) and just have LOTS of fun at home. Enjoy the pics!

Trophy Day for Thatcher's first year of T-Ball Swim Team!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Is this bow too big? Emmy picked it out...

These little ones LOVE their bath time!

Malachi at the beach

Ava eating sand and other things at the beach

Ava and Emmy

"I'm too cute for words..."

Someone found my hair clippies

Malachi loves this riding toy. It keeps him really busy and happy.

A Warm Welcome

2009-05-25T21:17:00.003-04:00

A friend snapped these pics when the children were meeting for the first time. I was close by, but jet lagged, and without my camera handy. I'm so glad she got this on film. Grace was adorable with Ava. For her, it's been love at first sight. For Thatcher it's taken some time, but he and Malachi have started chasing each other around, which is a great beginning.

We're doing great! I'm finally feeling better and have the house running smoothly again. That makes a huge difference. The first week home, I was sleeping most of the day due to some sort of parasite/bacteria/flu. I would just look around at all that needed to be done, and then hold the babies and rest. Thankfully my mom was here during that time and she was a HUGE help. I don't know how we would have done it without her. Also, Sean only worked half-days, so there were extra hands at all times.

We are just so in love. Malachi is winning over our hearts and getting sweeter every day. Now he comes up and grabs our faces to give us kisses. And he's probably down to 2-3 tantrums a day, which is an unbelievable improvement from our first week together. He is so happy at home, and when we go out (even just in the front yard) he puts up a wall. His pouty lip comes out and he won't let you know he's having any fun. We're just so thrilled that he's coming out of his shell, and bonding so well with us.

Ava is just the most precious angel I've laid eyes on. I really am in heaven. She is perfection to me right now. Today I was wishing I could just bottle her up at this age forever, so that I could enjoy her baby stage a little longer. She is so funny, always doing tricks. Whatever face you make at her, she tries to mimic. She started waving yesterday, and is just fitting right into our family. Whenever she fusses, big sister is quick to scoop her up. She has slept through the night the last 2 nights, and Malachi too. They're now taking naps, and sleeping about 11 hours at night. Woohoo! This is too good to be true.

Our friends are bringing us meals right now and that has been a huge blessing. We've just been able to love on the kiddos, introduce them to all kinds of new things, like swinging, swimming, popscicles, wrestling with Daddy, cuddling with Mommy. It's been so nice to just BE. Thank you to all who have served us, and for all of you praying. God is faithfully providing His grace for each moment.

Sean goes back to work tomorrow, so it will be a true taste of my new life. I'll let you know how it goes.....

Our trip to Ethiopia

2009-05-21T22:42:00.000-04:00

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Get your own

Finally...

2009-05-15T12:33:00.004-04:00

Greetings from Kelly & Sean in Ethiopia!

Well, greetings to you through their babysitter, Rhiannon.
They want you all to know that they praise the Lord for safely arriving in the country and delivering their two newest babies to them!

On Monday we received a call from Sean and rejoiced to find that the agency had already brought the children and turned them over to the Jacobys. As is to be expected however, the first day both Malachi and Ava were tenative and cautious. I cannot even imagine the difficulty of finally meeting your little ones, whom you have desired fiercely, spared no expense to reach, and waited with pent-up expectation to have and to hold, only to find that you must wait further still while they their hearts warm to you. All the intention and planning for that first, critical moment cannot make them leap toward you in love.

I could not help but think of the Lord. For in just the same way, He spared no expense. He spared not His only begotten Son. And yet even while we enter into the family He planned, purchased, prepared, provided for, and pursued with passion, we do not love or reach out to Him as we should. This relationship of ours is His glory and all our gain. How merciful and infinitely loving of God to continue with us in the same, unchanging passion though we fail to reciprocate what He deserves, though we fail to hold His hand as He holds ours! "For while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."

Joy came today however, when Sean called again and described, with something like relief, that both children were finally, "clinging." Healthy, happy, rambunctious and clinging. Only the Lord could accomplish such a work and we pray that He continues as He brings all four, and their wonderful "Granny" home.

Everyone is eating well, though sleep is challenging. Ava has ended up in bed between them, every night. They also met the birth mother yesterday, the details of which I'm sure Kelly will fill you in on. To summarize however, Sean said, "It was very emotional."

Grace and Thatcher count down the days, approximately every twenty minutes. And more than once an outbreak of near hysteria has occurred as they realize, "Our babies will be home soon."

We ask that you continue in prayer. For health, safety, and united hearts. This adoption story ripples with the truth of the Lord to more souls than live in the Jacoby house.

I also wanted to take this time to thank all of you who have called or come up to us at church. Your support is such a mercy and I know it will be extremely necessary to the family once they're home.

"May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God." Romans 15:5-6

Grace and Peace!

PACKING AND MORE PACKING...

2009-05-08T11:43:00.004-04:00

Okay, I'm so ready to be DONE packing and get this show on the road! If I have to open one more box of medication or stick one more thing in a baggie, I'm going to keel over and die. AAAHH. I'm over it! Now then, enough complaining. I think it's all packed. We had to omit a few things (like pedialyte - way too heavy) and granola bars (but we're already taking a slew of them) so I feel pretty good about it. I included a picture of our bags. HUGE! Our main concern right now is that our duffle bags will be allowed on Ethiopian airlines. They have a 62" rule (L,W,H combined) and our duffles are slightly over those dimensions. Sean weighed them at work and we managed to get them within the 50 lb mark. Please pray with us that all will go smoothly.

In our duffles, we packed the humanitarian aid items for Gladney (diapers, wipes, bottles, A&D, Purell, couple of new baby outfits), the 75 baggies full of stuffed animals and goodies, about 30 hand-made baby dolls (here's the newest addition from a neighbor), and backpacks full of fun things for our sponsored children.

In our suitcases we packed our clothes as well as clothing for Ava and Malachi, all in vacuum-sealed bags. Those things are so cool! The kids thought it was like a science experiment and were so sad when I had finished. Also, the meds for us and kiddos, and food. 3 families mailed us some small items to take to their babies and we're so happy to deliver them!

Our carry-ons have our important documents, travel pillows, diapers, wipes and toys galore. Unfortunately, Ethiopian airlines also weighs your carry-on, so my idea of stashing all the heavy stuff in those was OUT. But I MUST bring toys for A and M! We can't take them out and about much, so I'm bringing a couple of books, cars, rattles, bubbles, ball, and those cool Baby Einsten flashcards that have mirrors on one side. I think they're the Discover Me cards. So cute!

My Mom comes in today, and our sweet friend who will care for the children is coming as well. I'm in a bit of a funk- I keep looking around at things to do, and my body says "too tired", but my inner strength says "I think I can, I think I can...".

Tomorrow, we'll be heading out of d.c in the evening and all this packing will be a distant memory. Woohoo! I'm bringing some great music on my ipod, and my mom's bringing games on hers, so that should help us pass some time, and I bought the book from the Bottomlys entitled: "Ashes to Africa". I'm really looking forward to reading their story. This is a great time for me to recommend my new favorite cd. It's called "Sing Over Me" and is a mixture of worship/lullabies. I want to listen to it all day everyday. Check it out and see what I mean.

We will try to check in with our babysitter, and if she can find time to post, she'll try to add some updates. There won't be much, because we decided not to take a computer. We'll be sending her a few emails from Sean's Blackberry. I'm planning to journal and when life settles down around here (like next year : ), I'll post about our trip.

Again, thank you for ALL your prayers. The Lord has been so faithful, and we are encouraged by His presence every step of the way.

Oh, one last thing. Everytime we sing this song in church, I have a melt-down when I get to the second verse. Even when I'm on the worship team in front of our church- not pretty. But I love the song. It's by Bob Kauflin and is a Sovereign Grace song. You'll see, when you read the second verse, why it ministers to me so much. This journey has been long, but I knew the Lord's purpose was at work, and His mercy was sufficient...

A DEBTOR TO MERCY ALONE

A debtor to mercy alone

Of covenant mercy I sing

I come with Your righteousness on

My humble offering to bring

The judgments of Your holy law

With me can have nothing to do

My Savior's obedience and blood

Hide all my transgressions

From view

The work which Your goodness began

The arm of Your strength will complete

Your promise is yes and amen

And never was forfeited yet

The future or things that are now

No power below or above

Can make You Your purpose forego

Or sever my soul from Your love

My name from the palms of Your hands

Eternity will not erase

Impressed on Your heart it remains

In marks of indelible grace

Yes I, to the end will endure

Until I bow down at Your throne

Forever and always secure

A debtor to mercy alone

We passed!

2009-04-27T15:01:00.000-04:00

My Montage 4/25/09

Court Date- April 27th

2009-04-25T20:21:00.003-04:00

Our court date is Monday, which means that we should all go to bed praying Sunday night. There is a 7 hour time difference, so court will be going on while we're sleeping in the wee hours of the morning. We appreciate all your prayers for God to grant us favor.

"Now unto Him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, unto Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages..."

We're praying specifically for these things:

1. For the birthmom to show up at the hearing

2. For all of our paperwork to be in order and present

3. For the judge to grant us parental rights

4. Ultimately for God to orchestrate all events and show us His favor

BLESSED

2009-04-25T07:30:00.006-04:00

The girls from my care group at church hosted a baby shower for me and it was full of BLESSINGS. They gathered blessings from family members and close friends to compile into a beautiful Blessing Book that is now on my coffee table. To make matters more emotional, they read these blessings aloud during my shower, followed by a prayer time.

Okay, I was a mess. I cried as my grandmother and my mother shared their testimony of adoption. Then a friend started reading a blessing written by my father. I started to melt into a puddle on the floor. This progressed with other readings from siblings, parents, close friends. Wow.

I've know for a long time that God has graciously blessed me with precious family and friends, but this was almost more than I could bear. I am so unworthy of God's goodness toward me. The Blessing Book will be a treasure to me for years to come. It goes so much further than the tangible goods brought to the party.

Don't get me wrong. We needed those baby items, and many were kind enough to bring humanitarian aid items as well. God faithfully provided for our needs. But, again, the Book will continue to bless me and my children for years to come. Thank you to all who were involved. I love you dearly, and thank you for your kind words of love, affirmation, and BLESSING! Here are some pictures.

3 Weeks and Counting!

2009-04-06T08:09:00.003-04:00

My cuties!

Oh yah- a man after my own heart!

Grace saved up and bought some new outfits for Felicity off Craig's List. So cute!

In 3 short weeks, we will have our courtdate over in Ethiopia! We are so excited to see what God will do! Please keep praying that we will pass on the first date. We know that God is working on our behalf behind the scenes and that brings us such peace. His will be done!

IF we pass court, we could be travelling 2-4 weeks later. That means we could be travelling next month. Wow! After more than a year of waiting, we are within reach. I see the light at the end of the tunnel. Well, on the one hand it is the end of waiting and on the other hand it is the beginning of a new season. There is MUCH to come. This waiting has just been a small part of our family's journey. We want to get our hands on these little ones and help them feel loved, nurtured, and part of a forever family.

My mom is coming this week and my sweet friends are throwing me a baby shower. I'll share pics soon.

Update on our babies

2009-03-19T07:37:00.004-04:00

We received another update yesterday and I just wish I could post the pictures. They are adorable! Malachi's hair is growing and he is just too cute for words. Ava is sleeping in her picture, but just as precious as always. Here is the update :

“M. is a sweet little guy. He loves his roommates and room. He has the most rowdy room we have! He doesn’t really add to the rowdiness, but he does seem to enjoy it. He is a big teddy bear. He likes to sit in my lap or be close to the caregivers. He is doing great. A. is doing wonderfully. Today, when I stopped by she was sleeping, but yesterday I saw her outside with her roommates. The caregivers tell me she is eating and sleeping very well. They also said she is “very vocal”, which I think translates to “she cries if we don’t hold her."

I cannot wait to get my arms around these two. It is hard to explain what it feels like to be so far away from someone you love, but have never met. My love grows for them every day. I find myself talking to their pictures in that wierd baby voice we all get while snuggling little ones. They have become part of our daily conversation, and a part of every prayer. I've pulled out clothes for little man and I stare at the shoes wondering what his chubby little feet will be like. I love hearing that he is a big teddy bear. That just melts my heart. If Ava likes to be held, she'll be in good hands around here. When my friend Becky was here, Grace and Thatcher held Jack all the time. Matter of fact, Thatcher hauled a little rocking chair downstairs and brought his blankie for Jack one evening just before bed. Here's the picture.

In the meantime, we are staying busy. Grace is so creative and is always building something with her brother or for her brother. I can't keep up with all of the creations.
Grace will be testing soon for the IOWA here in VA. This keeps us home-schoolers on our toes, which is always a good thing. I'm a little nervous, but we've worked hard this year and she has "soaked" up so much information. She is thrilled about George Washington and Abraham Lincoln right now. It comes alive to her when we read the stories. I love homeschooling because it leaves plenty of time for all of her creative moments, and she and Thatcher are really becoming good friends. It's such an answer to prayer!

River Dance

2009-03-04T19:19:00.004-05:00

A friend of mine was recently in town (love you Becky) and saw Thatcher do his River Dance. She suggested I post a little video of him doing it for all of you. It really is so funny! Every time we turn on music, he does his River Dance and then he and Grace waltz around the room together. We found an African Playground cd which is the background music for his little show. I can't believe this is his last month as a 4 year old. My little buddy is growing up way too fast! I went in to his room the other day and he was hammering a picture of our little man Malachi to the wall with a thumb tack just above his bed. When I chastised him for hammering without my permission, he looked at me with those big blue eyes and said, "I just want to be able to see him Mom." How can you argue with that? So now it's hanging above his bed, not framed, not centered, not planned - but precious, and it is Thatcher's little reminder every night before bed that he has a brother coming.

Update

2009-02-18T16:21:00.002-05:00

Last week we received an update on our little ones. We have decided to name them Malachi and Ava (while keeping their African names as middle names). I will refer to them by their new names, for security purposes.

“Malachi is doing well. He was a little shy around me. He stood very still and serious when I took his picture. I got out a pen and paper to try to get him to smile. I drew some and then gave him the pen. He looked at it as if he didn't know what to do with it. Then he started drawing. He smiled a couple times but never near the camera. Ava is very strong. She has quite a grip and can take all of her weight on her legs. She can stand with some help for balance. She rocks on her hands and legs, looking almost ready to crawl. The caretakers can get her to smile and laugh but she was very serious with me. She did not seem at ease when I held her although she did not cry or seem scared either. She is very alert and watches everything.”

Weight: Malachi (2 1/2) 34.6 lbs
Ava (almost 7 months) 15.8 lbs
We are thrilled with the updates. The pictures attached showed Malachi with some hair growing in. Such a cutie. And they are both as chunky as ever! We also heard back from a family that took over a care package for us. They will be sending us a disc of pictures soon. We can't wait!!! We just want to get our hands on those babies and love on them. We're so thankful that the travelling families have been doing this for us. There are several families with court-dates tomorrow and we'll all be praying!

Piper on Adoption

2009-02-12T21:57:00.002-05:00

A friend of mine posted this link on her blog and it was such a great video clip by John Piper regarding adoption. I just had to share it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZgNXQ2CazUg

COURT DATE!!

2009-02-06T17:21:00.002-05:00

We have a court date! It is Monday, April 27th. It is more than 2 months out, but we trust God's timing. As my mom said, it's one more phase of our LONG labor. We started this journey approximately a year ago. It's hard to believe that much time has gone by. And I must say, the Lord has been faithful every step of the way. We are so excited that God is adding to our family, and we know it will be worth the wait. I was praying early this morning specifically for Malachi, and at the end of my prayer, cried out to the Lord regarding our court date. He drew my attention to I Sam. 15:22- "Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice". At times, it feels like I'm sacrificing quite a bit. All the time worrying, all the time planning, praying, questioning, yearning, WAITING. But I found hope in this verse. My obedience to the Lord is better than sacrifice. I may be giving up some things, but it doesn't compare to my obedience. The Lord wants me to walk in faith, and trust Him regarding these little ones. He wants us to move forward on this journey, even though we don't know what the next step holds. We must obey. That is what He cares most about. And so, we continue to wait and trust Him.

Let's see, if all goes well at our court date, we can "hope" to travel in late May. Please continue to pray with us, that our court date will be successful, that the birthmother will show up and relinquish the children, and that we can travel in May.

Here is a verse that my sweet sister shared with me earlier this week:
Isaiah 58:11
The Lord will guide you continually, and satisfy your soul in drought, and strengthen your bones; you shall be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail.

Doesn't that verse bless you? I hope so.

Tears of Joy

2009-01-23T07:12:00.004-05:00

This week has been so full of emotion for us. We have been crying tears of joy. We're so happy to meet our little ones, and so sad that they're halfway across the world. We're still waiting to hear back on a court-date and this is keeping us in much prayer.

This process could take AWHILE. So, to fill up some of this waiting time, I've started making quart-sized baggies for children in Ethiopia. I have a "Friend of a friend" that has travelled over 3 times, and I've gleaned lots of info from her. She said to have bags of goodies ready to give out, as well as food and other items. In each quart sized baggie, I'm placing a laminated bible-verse bookmark, jumprope, pencil, small notepad, bouncy ball, little plastic frog, a new beanie baby (that my mom scored at a garage sale of a collector), small candy cane (thanks to the Walmart after Christmas 75% off sale) and lastly I need to add one more food item. I'm not sure if it will be fruit leather, a fruit roll-up, granola bar or crackers. It will depend on the price and feedback I get. My "friend of a friend" said that they handed out granola bars and it was so sad because the children would eat off a couple of bites and then save the rest for their other family members. This causes me to consider a package of crackers, to be more easily shared. So far we have 75 bags, and my goal is to make 100. I ran out of beanie babies, but a few months ago I bought 2 dozen teddy bears at the Dollar Tree for $1 a piece.

Also, we're gathering other items to take along. We're attempting to meet our sponsored child (through Mission of Mercy) and my mom's sponsered child (through Compassion Intl.). We're making a back-pack for of items for them and each of their siblings. These include dresses, flip-flops, notebook, pencils, stickers, chapstick, pajamas, a homemade baby doll (see previous posts), and a few items for their mother- hand lotion, washcloths, and bible. We're still working on this part. I contacted an Ethiopian ministry that's here in the US and they told me it would be very inexpensive to purchase bibles in Amharic and Tingrinya (our children's native language - this would be for their birth mother) over in Addis at the British Bible Society.
Several of you have asked how you can help, or what you can send with us. We are currently collecting items for the younger orphanage and the Kolfe older boys orphanage. We would like to take the following:
Socks for all ages of boys- 4 and up
2-3 soccer balls and pumps
good pencil sharpener (to mount)
Hackey sacks- usually found at party stores
small plastic washable toys for the baby orphanage
baby onesies- newborn thru 12 months

Lastly, we must purchase $200 worth of humanitarian aid for the Gladney care center which will include specific diapers, wipes, formula and diaper ointment. If anyone would like to contribute financially toward this cause, it would be greatly appreciated.

Well, if you've been reading our blog and wondering what our future holds, I want to recommend this blog. http://ourfamilytapestry.blogspot.com/ They have recently posted a slideshow of their trip to ET to pick up a pair of 3 1/2 year olds. They are first cousins and one month apart in age. I must warn you that I cried like a baby when I viewed this slideshow. Please take a few minutes and watch. They give such honor to the Lord, and it is a blessing to watch.

REFERRAL!!!!!

2009-01-16T12:49:00.002-05:00

I've been waiting soooo long to say these words: WE GOT OUR REFERRAL!!!!! We are praising the Lord for two healthy babies~ a 2 1/2 yr old boy and a 5 1/2 month old girl. They are just precious and the more I pour over the pictures, the more I fall in love with them.

I got the call yesterday while in the shower. I didn't realize that I had messages waiting for me until we were in the car heading over to a friend's house. I saw Jessica's # and freaked out. I did a huge u-turn, ran into the house frantically looking for Jessica's # and shaking with excitement. When I reached her, I acted calm but my whole body was shaking. She said, "Kelly, I have some good news for you." I started crying right away. The only sad part is that Sean is out of town and couldn't be with me in person to meet our babies. He was on the phone with us, but couldn't see the pictures until we all hung up. We are just so blessed that many prayers have been answered. They are healthy and I must say- chunky! They've been cared for by their mother and the Gladney team, with only a short stint in an orphanage. Praise the Lord! I'm just so thankful to see a little window into what God has been orchestrating behind the scenes. This is His master plan, and we've finally had a little glimpse of what our future holds.

Thank you for all of your prayers, and please continue to lift up our little ones.

6 MONTHS

2008-12-15T07:23:00.003-05:00

This week marks 6 months on the waitlist. Woohoo! I can't believe we've made it this far. While it's been hard at times to be patient, we've had such a great year with our big kids. We've enjoyed lots of hiking, camping, riding bikes, and beach time. These activities will be a little more challenging when our little ones arrive.

We're heading into the holidays and on the one hand it will take our minds off of waiting for a few weeks as we'll be in TX with family. On the other hand, Sean really believes we'll get our referral sometime in the next few weeks. I'm trying not to get my hopes up, but I have been buying a few things here and there. 2 soft cuddly blankets to send to our little ones after our referral, and 2 child proof photo albums with pictures of our family so that they can see who we are before we come and get them. Also, we've begun purchasing some travel necessities like travel pillows, a money pouch, and backpack toddler carrier, in case it's needed.

I think we've finally decided on names, which is huge for us. We've gone round and round about boy names and the verdict is in..... Oh, you thought I was going to share it? Well I think I'll hold onto it a little longer before making a "formal" announcement. Sean chose the name and it's definitely been growing on me. The Hebrew meaning is God's Messenger. How wonderful is that? Wouldn't it be amazing if he grows up to take the message of the gospel to Ethiopia? Or proclaim it here in the states? Well, I can dream, and pray!

I've been working on the Christmas cards this weekend, and I decided to keep it simple this year. No big glossy photo of the kids. I'm hoping to have family pictures done in the spring with all 4 children : ), so I included a little wallet sized photo just so everyone can see how much Grace and Thatcher have grown, but that's it. Plus, I really wanted to send a card this year. I think those are becoming too scarce lately.

I must admit I have a new obsession lately with the Pioneer Woman's website. Her recipes are amazing and the pictures - wow! Check it out at http://www.thepioneerwoman.com/ . You'll love it! And definitely make the Jalepeno Thingies for an appetizer sometime. They will knock your socks off and keep your friends coming back for more.

Well, here are a few pictures of the kids over the last couple of weeks. I hope you all have a Merry Christmas and keep Jesus the main thing this holiday season.

Hiking

2008-11-20T11:19:00.003-05:00

We spent some time hiking the last couple of weekends and it has been beautiful with the leaves changing. Our kids are getting so big and love the hikes. We did a 3 mile-er this past weekend and just about the time we thought the kids would need to be dragged- we saw that the end was in sight. It is so great to behold the beauty of God's creation. If you click on "view all images", you can view the images as a regular slide show.

Ava's quilt- homemade by Grammy

2008-11-20T11:09:00.004-05:00

Here is a picture of the adorable and intricate quilt my mom made for Ava. She spent hours upon hours working on this and it will be a keepsake for sure. See how it matches the bedding? I'm going to order a crib sheet that is the same pink leopard print- which will be oh so cute!

Thanks Mom~ for sacrificing your time, energy and love for all your grandchildren. You hold a very special place in our hearts, and you will in Ava's heart too. Love you!

5 MONTHS and counting...

2008-11-15T07:38:00.005-05:00

This week marks 5 months on the waitlist. The time has really flown by and we have taken advantage of every moment to prepare, pray, and clean? Yes, my nesting instinct has kicked in and I'm deep-cleaning every thing in sight. I'm talking every door in the house got washed from top to bottom with the amazing "Magic Eraser", my spice cabinet has never looked better, I borrowed a "Little Green" vacuum from a friend to get all those darn spots up out of the carpet, and I could just go on and on. The kid's closets have been reorganized. You'd think it was spring around here.

The baby room for Ava is all set. My Mom just finished a quilt for her and it is amazing. I'll take a picture and post it soon, because it has to be the most beautiful baby quilt ever. It matches the bedding, and looks cozy too. Maybe it will be her "drag-along".

Depending on the age of our little boy (name TBA), we might set up a crib in Thatcher's room. Otherwise, we'll separate the bunkbeds. I think they'll both appreciate having someone in the same room at bedtime.

We've been praying for our little ones, and trusting they are in God's care. When I see pictures from other families that have visited the orphanages in Ethiopia, I just cry. I can't wait to hold our little babies in our arms. But I must say that we would rather wait on this end, than have to wait a long time after receiving a refferal. There are a lot of families caught up in court cases right now, and hopefully they can bring their babies home soon, and then we'll hear something.

Grace and I continue to make dolls and the last ones have turned out so cute. We've finally figured out how to do cute hair. Grace really wanted these last ones to have "do's". Here they are.

We have decided to hand out baby dolls to our sponsored children and their siblings first. We will also hand some out along the way as we sit fit (when there aren't LOTS of kids around us, b/c we don't have enough for that). After this, we'll give the rest to the Sovereign Grace church there in Addis for them to hand out when they're reaching out to the poor and needy. They can share the gospel alongside, so we think it's a great opportunity. We wouldn't have enough to hand out in the orphanages, so we felt like this would be the best back-up plan.

As far as older siblings are concerned (0-42 months), I think we're at the top of the waitlist. This doesn't mean things will move any faster for us, but it does feel good to be moving up the list. We've resigned ourselves to the fact that we probably won't hear anything over the holidays. That way, if we do, Hooray! We'll be soooo surprised! Let the countdown continue...

Sweet Dakota

2008-11-13T07:20:00.002-05:00

Well, yesterday was a sad day for us. After a few weeks of listening to Dakota breathe heavily due to her cancer, we noticed that she was not eating anymore, and her energy level had really dropped. It was time. We said our good-bye's~ which was heart-wrenching. She was such a good girl these past 9 years. So sweet and friendly with the kids, and such a fun companion for Sean and I to take on walks or to the beach. We'll miss her!

A World of Magic

2008-10-18T19:37:00.007-04:00

I got a call last weekend that blew me away. One of my good friends invited my family to Disney World for a few days. Sean and I have talked about Disney before, but didn't have it in the budget anytime soon and now with the adoption, we thought it would be a few more years. Grace and Thatcher are at a "magical" age, but I thought it would just have to wait. Any extra finances are going toward adoption costs and baby items.

What an answer to prayer. My kids and I flew out on Monday and enjoyed Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Sean joined us Wed. night and got to go to Magic Kingdom with us our last day. I tell you what- it was magical for all of us. A dream come true. A fairytale! You get the jist! Grace got to meet Belle and my friend bought her a beautiful Belle dress. She looked like a princess herself and was glowing. Thatcher loved meeting Buzz Lightyear and all the Pooh characters.

Sweet friend, if you read this, please know how thankful we are, and for the rest of you, I just want to say that God is good and rewards us when we least expect it.

Dakota

2008-10-18T19:30:00.002-04:00

Well, we found out last week that our sweet Golden Retriever, Dakota, has cancer. She is 9 years old and has had a very healthy and happy life. I was petting her last week and felt her lymph glands on her neck and they were very enlarged. I was hoping for the best when I took her in, but I had a sinking feeling. Sure enough, all of her lymph nodes/glands were enlarged and she was diagnosed with Lymphoma. My poor baby. She was my baby long before Grace and Thatcer came along. It will be very hard to see her go. She has been THE perfect pet, other than shedding, and she just couldn't have been sweeter or more gentle with the kids. The doctor said it won't take long, and that steroids will mask her symptoms and make her comfortable for awhile. In the meantime, her breathing is becoming a little more labored. At the first serious signs of her illness, we will take her in so that she's not in pain and so that we don't have to watch her suffer. Even now, it makes me cry. She will be missed!

Orphans

2008-10-03T07:42:00.000-04:00

I copied these stats on Ethiopia's children from another blog I read: http://scottvair.typepad.com/aheartfororphans/ This is Scott Vair's blog, who is a leader of the World Orphans ministry. This is where our little children will be coming from...

These stats are from the ISN Security Watch:

Extreme poverty continues to plague the land, with an average annual per capita income at less than US$100 and life expectancy just 46 years of age.

One out of ten children die before reaching their first birthday, and one out of six die before the age of five.

Only 11 per cent of the population in urban Ethiopia have access to clean drinking water, leaving nine out of ten children to drink unsafe surface water.

Dr. Bulti Gutema, representing the Labor and Social Ministry, told a government and UN initiative…that there were currently 4.6 million orphans in Ethiopia - 11 per cent of the country’s child population - and that 12 per cent of them are believed to have HIV/AIDS.The situation is deteriorating and experts predict that by 2010, 43 per cent of the country’s children could be orphans.

Over half of the population reported to be under the age of 18. 18 per cent of households are taking care of orphans, while 6.1 per cent of AIDS orphans are forced to beg in order to survive.

Compounding matters, the UN has also reported that child trafficking still continues unabated despite measures to combat the exploitation of children.

According to a recent UNICEF report, child labor and child prostitution continue to be major problems, as the level of poverty in Ethiopia is so absolute that many families simply cannot support their own children or take on relatives’ children whose parents have died from HIV/AIDS or other illnesses.

Internally, Ethiopian children are sold for as little as US$1.20 to work as domestic workers or prostitutes.

Most of the information we have from the IOM [International Organization for Migration] is of "young girls being trafficked to the Middle East,” UNICEF spokesman Indrias Getacheu in Addis Ababa told ISN Security Watch. “Young girls think that they will make a lot of money and are promised a good job. But when they get there they find that they don’t have any protection, they don’t have any legal status and they end up in a situation of bondage.”

According to the IOM, up to 20,000 children are sold each year by their parents and trafficked by brokers to work in cities across the country.The IOM estimates that 12,000 to 14,000 Ethiopian women are working in Lebanon, mostly in domestic service.“The parents are often deceived with promises of money or that the child will be educated…traffickers pay around 10 to 20 Ethiopian birr [US$1.20 to US$2.40] for each child. We are talking about thousands of children each year.”According to the IOM, trafficking is the fastest growing crime in the world; it is believed to net those involved around US$10 billion a year.

Yes, there are problems here in America, and we continue to lift those up to the Lord, but this also weighs heavy on our hearts. It is so rewarding to know that we can bring two of these little orphans home and "save" them from these statistics.

Ps. 127:3-5 Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord.... Happy is the man who has his quiver full of them....

SIBLINGS

2008-09-30T17:31:00.000-04:00

Well, as some of you know, we've been praying about whether or not to change our request to siblings. We believe children are a blessing from the Lord, and have wanted to be open to welcoming two children into our family. For the first part of this journey, we agreed on one and decided this in itself would be a leap of faith. We felt peace from the Lord about this, but completed our paperwork for two just in case. As time has passed, we have gone round and round about this HUGE decision. We want to walk in faith and not in fear. We would love for our baby girl to not be the only adopted child in our family, and the only one with brown skin. The Lord would be faithful in either circumstance, but we've been seriously considering these things. Also, we know that once we arrive in Ethiopia, our hearts will forever be changed and we will want to bring a little 2 year old home. These are the children that have a harder time being adopted. The babies will be requested, but the toddlers and older children have a much slimmer chance of being adopted. Add this to the fact that our "baby", Thatcher, is now 4 1/2 years old. Wow! He has grown so fast, and would LOVE to have a brother: someone to wrestle with, play ball with, fight with : ) As God would have it, we have bunk beds in his room and tons of hand-me-down boy clothes. We see this as an opportunity for God to build our family in a very unique and special way. We prayed this past week about whether to change our request and Sean and I completely agreed that it was time. We have now officially changed our request to: girl/boy siblings (infant girl, 2 year old boy- our homestudy approves us for a boy up to 36 months). I say this with a little fear and trepidation, but sensing peace from the Lord. He gives us the grace we need when we need it. We are called to walk by faith, and this will definitely be a faith-builder. We anticipate the transition to be hard, but know that it will be such a blessing in the long run for these 2 children to have each other, and for us to be stretched or squeezed. We will need to rely on His strength and not our own. This may change our wait time, but what is a few months in light of ~ the rest of our lives, and eternity??? Thank you to those of you who have been praying for God to lead us. He is leading and we are grateful.

Our piano

2008-09-29T08:38:00.000-04:00

Last week, I was driving home from church and was asking God to please provide a piano for our family. Grace started taking lessons a few weeks ago and was practicing on her mini-keyboard from Target. Her little fingers wouldn't fit in the right places and it was frustrating for her. I kept looking on Craig's List for a free piano and came up empty. So after bringing it to the Lord, I went on CL again and found a couple of pianos for $200 each. I thought I'd go take a look, but knew that we didn't have the cash laying around for that. When I got home, Sean said, "Well, the piano's paid for!" He didn't know that I had been praying, but we had received a check in the mail from our insurance company for $239. Is that provision from the Lord, or what? We give him the praise for our new piano (well, it's from the 1960's, but it's new to us). If you watch the video of Gracie, you'll see that I'm not yet a pro at taking video with my camera. Oh, and the piano hasn't been tuned in 15 years. That will be next on our list....

Texas, our Texas

2008-09-15T22:45:00.000-04:00

Well, sorry it's been so long since I've posted, but we were out of town for 3 weeks. We spent most of our time in Ft. Worth with family and friends, but we also spent a week at Mo-Ranch, down in Hunt, TX. I grew up going there with my family and now we try to make the "annual" trip there with my parents, sisters, and their families too. It's so much fun, and we just can't get enough of the outdoors and family time.
We got back and started homeschool for Gracie, who is in 1st grade this year. Thatcher will be learning his ABC's and 123's also. Our first week was even better than I'd expected, with plenty of time to fit everything in. It really is a blessing, and I'm enjoying my time with them at the school table.
We also started piano for Grace, though we don't have a piano yet. You should see her practicing on her little Target keyboard. I'm praying that I can find one inexpensively or even FREE on Craig's list. Thatcher started soccer and is a natural little athlete. That boy amazes me.
As you can see above on my "ticker", we've reached the 3 month marker on the waitlist. This means we're entering the WINDOW. Basically, we Gladney families hope to receive referrals between the 3rd and 5th month, though sometimes it takes longer than anticipated. I have a feeling it will still be some time now, but in the meantime, I'm pulling baby stuff down from the attic. Who knew it could be so fun? It definitely has added to my baby bug. I was awake alot in the night last night and couldn't help feeling that I needed to be praying for our baby. Please lift up a prayer for her.

Doll Party

2008-09-15T22:25:00.000-04:00

My mom came to town for a visit and helped throw me a "doll party". It was so much fun! Friends and neighbors came to sew dolls for the orphanages in Ethiopia. The guests got to choose the dress material, and be creative with the hair-dos. Some had to take their babies with them in order to finish them up, and others left them for me and Mom to finish. The dolls are all so cute and I know they'll bless the children we meet over in Addis Ababa.

Worship Conference 2

2008-08-13T07:42:00.000-04:00

Well, I told you I would write more about the Sovereign Grace Worship Conference, and if I don't do it now, it might never happen. These were the general session titles: Knowing God with the Psalmist (Craig Cabaniss-pastor in Frisco), Expressing Emotion with the Psalmist (Thabiti Anyabwile-pastor in Cayman), Glorifying Christ with the Psalmist (Mark Devor), Enduring Trials with the Psalmist (David Powlison), Praising God with the Psalmist and Living Life with the Psalmist (Bob Kauflin).
The Lord was so faithful to bring His word and change our hearts over the course of the weekend. Jen and I found ourselves in tears time and time again. Tears over our own sin, tears over our lack of faith, tears over "waiting on God", tears over lack of sleep- you know it makes you cry about anything and everything : )

Here are a few key words that stirred my heart:
Craig Cabannis~Psalm 33: God can make something out of nothing. Bring new songs to our God- His mercies are new every morning, therefore, an old song can be new with fresh awareness of God's grace in our lives.
Our perception of God will shape our response to God in our worship.
Thabiti~Psalm 73: Man-centered emotions lead to despair, while God-centered emotions lead to a singular love of Christ and eternal joy.
Is happiness connected to prosperity? We are sad predictors of what brings joy.
In his trial, Asaph's circumstances didn't change, but his perspective changed. He acquired the ability to see the end from the beginning. He saw God as His provision, and this caused his heart and emotions to be poured out to God. He could "taste and see that the Lord is good".
We must come to God without denial (pretending that our lives are clean and neat), and without false theology about suffering, and make truth central to our proclamation to Him.
Mark Devor~The bible has one message and that is the cross of Christ. Jesus taught that the old testament was about Him (Lk 24:25, 44-45~ "then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures"). Christ is found in many Psalms. He taught that He came to fulfill the Old Testament. The Old Testament is a riddle, and the answer is in the New Testament. When we read the trials of David, we can often times see Christ's suffering as well.
David Powlison- We also see that the Psalms were for Jesus. He was a man of sorrows, suffering, and death. The Psalm is a pattern of human experience: need, joy, faith, love.
Faith and dependency don't always feel good. They can feel terrible when you're in dire need, but first admit your need to Him. Then name the problem like David did (for me, it's not my enemies beating down my door, it's waiting for the Lord to build our family). Lift up adoration and exhortation. Faith now feels good because it is full of joy! Faith leads to love, and we carry this out to others.
Bob Kauflin~Appropriate worship should be done from the heart as an expression of gratefulness for God's love and mercy; an expression of heart engagement. The Psalms demonstrate physical expressions. Our expressions can't be measured by raised hands, but it's a way we can glorify Him, and show others the greatness of the Savior we're worshipping. Oftentimes, raised hands and bowed knees engage our hearts. Worship is celebrating what He's accomplished. We share in His triumph!
Well, there's so much more, but I'm running out of time. I came away from the Worship Conference wanting to be honest before the Lord about my pain and need, and wanting to engage my heart in worship with TRUTH about my God. Our hearts cannot just be aflame. We need our minds engaged as well. (Remember the Hearts Aflame, Minds Engaged slogan from CBC?) When I'm dividing God's Word, He meets me in my need and brings joy (even in waiting) as I proclaim His faithfulness and promises found in His TRUTH! He is answering my prayers and meeting me in my trial~ it just doesn't look the way I thought it would. Praise the Lord for drawing near to me!

Worship Conference

2008-08-03T21:31:00.000-04:00

I just returned home from the Sovereign Grace Worship Conference, and it was such a time of refreshing and renewal. I will write more later about my time there, but for now I thought I'd post a few pictures. My Dad and sister were there and we had such a great time together. We stayed in a beautiful area in Gaithersburg, MD and were able to take walks and have coffee in the mornings there, while enjoying the beautiful scenery. The conference was at Covenant Life Church and there are some pictures of us in front of the outdoor tent where we would eat lunch. There were 1600people attending the conference and the praise and worship was amazing. That many voices being lifted up to our Lord. Wow!

2008-07-23T13:37:00.000-04:00

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One month down

2008-07-22T20:59:00.000-04:00

Well, we've officially been on the waitlist for a month. Yeah! 1 down, and who knows how many more to go - but we hope it will be 2-4. I guess if you look at it from a "pregnancy standpoint", we're halfway through and we know what we're having, even without an ultrasound: it's a girl :) I bought a diaper bag the other day, and had a hard time justifying it, without a baby bump to show for it. It is sooo cute: dark brown with pink polka dots of course. And I found some baby bedding on sale, so I grabbed it. It's very girly, and very cute. It's the Wendy Bellissimo Teaberry from Babies-R-Us. I was going to use the same bedding that I used for Gracie 6 years ago, but I'm OVER the pink gingham. If anyone's interested, I'm going to sell my Pottery Barn bedding that is "like-new". It's a pink ginham crib bedskirt, and a bumper pad that is white with stitched flowers all over in pink, lavendar, yellow, green and pale blue. It is very cute. And I have pink gingham curtains to match. Let me know if you want to see pictures. I'll probably post it on the Nofolk Craigs List soon.
My mom was reminding me the other day that when we do receive the referral, we'll jump into crazy mode, so I might as well prep the baby room. It will give me something to do with these nesting instincts.
On another note, we had a care-group-wide VBS, and I helped one day, while hosting/teaching another day. We had 15 children at my house, between 2 adults. Yikes! But it really was fun and a blessing to be teaching the children about Christ. I am loving my church, and continue to be blessed by all at Sovereign Grace. Next Wednesday, I'm heading up to Maryland to attend the SGC Worship Conference. I'm so fired up! It will be great to focus on how to bring worship before the Lord, but also a time of singing, learning, and fellowship. My dad and sister are coming up from FW to attend, and we can fit in some family time as well.

Today was Grace's birthday, and I just can't believe that she's 6! This was not a party year (we're doing the every-other-year-party-thing), but we let her invite a friend to go the beach with us. We all had a wonderful time, and tonight we poured over her baby album. I remember waiting and praying- so long ago- for her, and it's amazing that she's been in my arms for 6 years already. It took just about 3 years to conceive that first time around, and here we are walking through something similar. It has been over 2 years now (with one miscarriage last summer) and at times I get sorrowful, or doubtful, but God is working behind the scenes and I can't wait to see what He has in store for us. One day I'll look back at this waiting time, and see how God was so gracious to have us on our knees. It is in those times that we draw nearest to Him.

Baby dolls

2008-07-06T07:42:00.000-04:00

My sweet mom is starting to sew handmade baby dolls that are precious. She will make one for our new baby girl, and also for the other little girls in the family. After that she is wanting to host a doll-making party so that her friends can help sew dolls for Ethiopia. Isn't that wonderful? My family has been so supportive and this is yet another way that I sense their overall excitement and anticipation of what God is working out in our lives. Mom might drive out and see me the end of this month, and if that happens, we're going to have a doll party here as well. We will prep the patterns (we're still deciding which pattern to use for the parties- there's a great pattern at this website- www.nonidolls.com/dollyhugs.html) , sewing part of the babies, and then the girls can stuff them, do some hand-sewing, and decorate. What a joy to take handmade babies to little children whose hands are empty.

It's official!

2008-06-17T07:44:00.000-04:00

We are officially on the Wait list!!! We have requested an infant girl, 0-8 months, as young as possible. Our caseworker said they will take this into consideration before sending us a referral, and that it could potentially make our wait longer. But when you consider that we won't travel to pick up our baby for 2 months after referral, we could still be picking up a 10 month old. So, all in all, we're hoping for under 6 months, but we'll trust that the Lord will faithfully oversee the circumstances involved. The Ethiopian courts are closed in August and September, so it looks like we won't have a court date until the fall. Please keep all these things in your prayers.

Final Piece of Paperwork

2008-06-09T07:45:00.000-04:00

Well, we celebrated this weekend! Sean was at the pool with the kids on Saturday and the hungrier he got, the more he decided he would head out and pick up some good ol' beef- steak of course! If you know my husband, you know his love for a good steak. While he was gone, I checked the mailbox and there was our final piece of paperwork we've been waiting for. It's the 171-H form from USCIS that says our backgrounds have been checked and we are able to adopt an orphan. Woohoo! When Sean got home from the grocery store with steaks, it seemed so perfect. Time to celebrate! Today we will get the paperwork notarized and fed-ex it to KBS (who is putting together our dossier) so that our dossier can be authenticated. This can take 1 or 2 weeks. It usually goes fast. Waiting list, here we come!
On another note, Grace was asking me so many questions the other day about Ethiopia. What it's like, what the children are like, what they wear, what they eat, what they play with. We've discussed these things before, but she really wanted details! She ran off and put together a pile of special things she wanted to donate to the children we'll see there. I wanted a picture of the precious pile, but friends came over and the pile went to pieces. There were babies, necklaces, bracelets, toys, marbles, so many things. And it just melted my heart. I'm thanful that God is giving us a little glimpse into what it must be like to have NOTHING. We will be putting together a list of things that we'd love to take with us and distribute. Some will be specifically for humanitarian aid- diapers, formula, etc. Others will be for the children- windup flashlights, jump ropes, etc. Let me know if you'd like to contribute in some way.
Sean and I went to the "Mission of Mercy" website and found a little girl that we want to sponsor in Ethiopia. She is 6 and not available for adoption. A sponsorship will provide food, clothing, and education for her every day. Her name is Diborah, and I don't know much about her yet. We'll receive a packet in the mail soon. I'd love to meet her when we travel, and take her a care package. We were drawn to her, because she's just a few months older than Grace, so it gives us a little insight into her soul. I picture my Gracie there without necessities and it brings me to tears. So many things to be praying for....

Family Update

2008-05-27T15:09:00.000-04:00

Grace and Thatcher are getting so excited about the adoption as well. Above is a picture of Grace's mini-room she made for her and her baby to sleep beside each other. To the right is a picture of Thatcher with Grace's new baby doll that she picked out. He is ready to be the BIG brother and Mommy's helper. He jumps up to run little errands for me before I can even get the words out. Grace keeps picking out baby clothes at the store and BEGGING me to buy them for our new girl. "She'll really love this cozy one, Mom."

We're talking about baby names every day and can't seem to settle on one yet. Maybe her Ethiopian name will be best. Feel free to make suggestions....

Moving Right Along

2008-05-27T14:48:00.000-04:00

Last Thursday we received our finalized Home Study. This is a huge step in our journey. This document should enable us to receive our immigration paperwork, which will complete our dossier. We are moving right along in the paper chase! I found out today that after our dossier is authenticated in our city and state, we will be placed on the official waiting list. It will then be authenticated in Washington d.c. and Ethiopia, as we're "waiting". This is very exciting news because I feel like it's not very far off.
I'm so excited and am beginning to let my heart get involved. I've really held back in fear of the adoption falling through due to unforseen circumstances- like pregnancy, and although pregnancy would be an amazing answer to prayer and we would be ecstatic, this "miscarriage of adoption" would be heartbreaking. That is still a possibility, as only the Lord knows how He will build our family, but in the meantime, we must trust the Lord. And that trusting involves the heart. We're praying daily for God to be watching over our little one, wherever she/he may be. If there is a daughter for us in Ethiopia, she could be born by now. Up until this point, we've been praying for a baby in her mother's womb, but now we're changing our plea. Now we ask the Lord's favor for good health, nutrition, care, love, and bonding for this little one that we hope to be our own.
I finished the book "There's No Me Without You" and it was definitely a life-changing experience. It has opened my eyes to poverty and orphans, like never before. As I'm reading at night, the tears just flow as I think about visiting these orphanages and care centeres. We will come back changed even more for the better. These people and children are not just in need of food and provisions. They're in need of Christ and His message of salvation. It's awesome to consider how adoption truly is a picture of how God has rescued us out of our sinful, Hell-bound lives. We were/are so undeserving. We can't change the world, but we can change one child's life and offer them a future Hope.

Home Study

2008-04-16T21:29:00.000-04:00

We are excited to say that our home study meetings have been completed. A home study is the process of a social worker being assigned to you, and meeting with you a total of 3 times to interview and get an overall impression of your family. We had to answer many personal questions, including our spouse's greatest fault, our finances, our methods of discipline. God blessed us with a very kind social worker that seemed to appreciate our family values. We met at her home office twice for interviews, and she came to our house once to meet the children, and assess our living conditions. She will be writing up our final home study and we're hoping for it to be completed within the next 2 weeks. Next we move on to working on our dossier, the collection of paperwork to be authenticated by our city, state, and Department of State before being sent to the Ethiopian government for approval. Please be praying that the Lord will graciously move our paperwork along quickly and efficiently. We're hoping to have a baby by Christmas.
I (Kelly) have begun reading "There is No Me Without You" and am learning so much about the history of Ethiopia, and the orphans there, as well as the plague of HIV that has overtaken the land. It is such a sad story, and a reminder to be thankful for all that we have. We have so much more than our basic needs being met. We are amazingly wealthy compared to the Ethiopian population, and yet we continue to chase our American dreams. Bigger homes, better cars, more in our 401k. Our church care group has been studying the book by Randy Alcorn, "The Treasure Principle", and we have sensed God wanting to change our priorities when it comes to our finances. We are praying that God would continue to give us direction, and that we would be faithful to what He calls us to do.

FAQ's

2008-03-16T07:07:00.000-04:00

Why adoption?
Adoption has been something tossed around in our conversations from time to time, but we had not felt the Lord leading us in this direction before now. This all started last month when our good friends mentioned their sister who has recently adopted from Ethiopia. After we read their blog on adoption, God began to do His work. This same friend asked us, "Have you ever considered that God has ordained this age gap so that you could adopt?" The answer was "no", but we felt that maybe God was trying to get our attention. Over the course of a month, Sean and I went from "waiting" for more biological children, to deciding that international adoption is in our immediate future. We simply thought, with all of the children needing families, why not us? We still trust that God will give us more biological children, but that this is the way He wants to add to our family right now.

Why international adoption when there are so many children in our own country who need a good home?
Just as in anything in life, God places unique desires and callings in His servants. While we are certainly open to whatever God has called us to, God has given us a particular burden for the children in Ethiopia. We are thankful that God calls us all to different tasks and ministries so that we can, as the Body of Christ, be an effective force for His kingdom. We don’t believe it is our place to judge the callings and burdens He has placed on others. What we DO know is that God has called us ALL to take care of the poor and the orphaned, so for us it is an act of obedience to Him. Finally, we echo one's sentiment when she was asked this very same question. She responded simply, “Well, I don’t see borders in the world.” We don’t believe that American children are more deserving of a family simply because they are American. We believe that all children in all countries are deserving simply because they are created by God.

Why Ethiopia?
At this time, Ethiopia and Kenya are the only two African countries open to international adoption by U.S. citizens which do not also have residency requirements. You are able to adopt from other African countries, but the adoptions are independent adoptions and not through accredited agencies here in the States. As an added bonus, Ethiopia adoptions are fairly quick and efficient and lower in cost when compared to adoptions from East Asia and Russia. The caretakers in their orphanages are primarily Christian and Christian Orthdox, so the children are receiveing hands-on, Christian love and attention. Finally, Ethiopia is an extremely poverty-stricken and disease-ridden country, factors which have contributed to an orphan population of 4.5 million in this country of 65 million. The number of orphans there boggles our minds. If we can make even a miniscule dent, we will do that.

What is the age/gender of the child you have requested?
We have requested an infant girl, and she will be anywhere from 3-12 months old. We believe that whatever God has designed for our family will be a blessing and not a burden. Of all of the callings God gives us grace for, caring for orphans is up there at the top!

Are you concerned about a transracial adoption?
Bringing a child of a completely different race into our “white” family has never been a reason for us to consider not adopting from Africa. However, that being said, while we do believe that the love of a family is more important than color, we are not ignorant of the reality we live in. Our new daughter will no doubt be quite aware of her differences. We all have a keen interest in other cultures, so we will incorporate our children’s heritage into our family and home as much as possible. We will not pretend that our African child is white. We will celebrate the diversity of us all.

Are you concerned about loving your adopted child the same as your biological children?
This is always a slight and initial concern in the mind of anyone who is choosing to adopt who already has biological children. From the testimony of others we have heard from, you end up loving your adopted child to the same degree as your biological children. (This is amazing to us!) When we first decided to adopt, we spent some time asking God to give us a strong sense of peace about this and to settle this love in our minds from the start. In the same way that a pregnant woman longs to cradle her child, we long to hold ours! Having had biological children already, we can already tell you that the love is the same. This is testimony to me to the fact that adoption is designed by God and brings glory to Him.

What agency are you using?
We are adopting through Gladney (www.adoptionsbygladney.com). We have had a very smooth process with them so far. The staff persons are so helpful and encouraging. They are very supportive of our process and of the adoption of our child. They are located in Fort Worth, TX, and we grew up hearing amazing stories about what God was doing through their organization. This caused us to look into their organization more fully and when doing so, we realized their wait time is much shorter than some of the other agencies. This is primarily due to the number of care centers and employees they have in Ethiopia.

How much will it cost?
International adoption is very costly. Frankly, this is not a factor in determining whether or not we are to adopt. We firmly believe that God provides in full for whatever He has called His people to do. We are a typical middle-class family, so we obviously do not have tens of thousands of dollars lying around looking for a “good cause” to be spent on. In fact, were the adoption to cost us even just a small amount, we would be trusting God for that, too. Every penny of this adoption is coming from Him. That makes this all the more exciting!

Will your adopted child be healthy?
Babies in Ethiopian orphanages are tested immediately for AIDS and other diseases such as Hepatitis and TB. Children that test positive for AIDS are placed in an AIDS-specific orphanage (though there are certainly not enough facilities for them all). They typically spend the rest of their days there, though many of these children are available for adoption through other avenues. Bloodwork on the children is repeated a few months later to verify the results. When we are given a referral for our child, we will also receive a known medical history and related information. Sometimes an illness or condition is not discovered until the child is home in the States, but we are not concerned about this. Should our child have a medical issue, we will seek the appropriate medical care. Most medical issues that arise are easily treatable stateside. Also, we are given the freedom to turn down a referral if we choose. We personally don’t anticipate doing so, but that is an option given to prospective adoptive parents.

Have your extended family and friends been supportive?
Yes! However, we do know that adding any child to a family is somewhat of an adjustment for everyone. While adoption has been brewing in our hearts, this was sprung upon the hearts of our relatives, so we don’t expect everyone to jump for joy the way we are. However, both of us have extremely godly and very loving extended families, so we know that this child will be welcomed with open arms and loved no differently than the other grandchildren. Our friends have been extremely supportive from the get-go and are helping us as we pray for and provide for our child's way home! We are blessed beyond measure by our friends and the ways that God is raising them up to be used in the process.

What do your other kids think about it all?
Our other two children could not be more excited. In fact, Grace offered her piggy bank money to help bring a baby home from Ethiopia. They can’t wait to meet their new sister. They look at pictures with us on the computer and say, "oh, can that one be our baby?" We have told them that we believe God will give us a baby this year, either from Mommy's tummy or from Ethiopia.

What happens if you get pregnant?
Most adoption agencies, ours included, like to put the adoption process on hold if the adoptive mother becomes pregnant. They prefer a 12 month age difference between the adopted child, and your children. We have signed a statement saying that we will declare a pregnancy if that were to happen. This being said, there comes a time in the process that this rule is revoked. If you have received a referral and decided upon a child, you can follow through with your adoption. The entire process should take 10-12 months, but our referral could be here in as little as 6 months. We trust that God will do what is best. We are aware that we could be pregnant as we bring home a new child, but this is a risk we're willing to take. Children are a blessing from the Lord!

Physicals and Bloodwork

2008-03-12T07:40:00.000-04:00

We are already rejoicing about the way God has provided for our needs. When we made some phone calls last week regarding the physicals and bloodwork that each member of our family has to have done, we realized that this was going to cost us roughly $700 per person. We prayed and researched all last week. Sean made some phone calls at Blackwater and found out we could have all of it done for free! They have a physician on hand, and he signed all the documents with a notary present. He made a very stressful situation seem like a breeze. Grace and Thatcher did pretty well for their TB test, a little poke just under the skin, but when it came time for them to have blood drawn, Grace was screaming and being held down. A few minutes later, we realized, it didn't take! The doctor wrote us bloodwork orders and sent us to Labcorp. This would be the 3rd time Grace got poked, and the 2nd time for Thatcher. This nurse had a lot of experience with children and was FIRM. I don't think Grace has ever looked more afraid in her life. Long story short, they both sat still and screamed their heads off. BUT IT'S OVER!

The Beginning

2008-03-08T16:13:00.000-05:00

This is the beginning of our adoption journey. We are excited to see what God is going to do! We hope and believe that the Lord is going to give us a baby girl from Ethiopia. The entire process will take 10-12 months. I just wanted to get this blog up and going. There will be more details to come.