I have heard other families going through the adoption process mention how waiting for a referral is a long and can be anxious process. I kept thinking to myself, 'I am so busy that I won't have time to worry about that, it will happen when it is supposed to happen...' LOL!!! Egg on my face, I feel like I did when I first found out I was pregnant with Selah. I got the book What to Expect When Expecting and I would torture myself by reading it every day and even reading ahead wondering what the pregnancy would be like. I would wish, pray and hope for time to fly! I would cry, be nervous and then repeat! Finally, the day came and she was born! I remember thinking how I spent most of my pregnancy wishing she were here and there she was! Simply amazing, God's little creation! All that waiting and there she was.
That is really how I feel right now with waiting for Noah! I don't know who he is, where he is but I know, he is out there! I know God has a little boy for us! I know God is preparing our hearts and lives during this time of waiting.

So, much like I did when I was pregnant with Selah and waiting in anticipation through a pregnancy book, I seem to be doing the same through our adoption agency's webiste...Our adoption agency has a page on their website for families that are in the 'waiting period' with a clock that shows what month/year that they are working on. For example the clock says that they are placing children with families that submitted their dossiers to Ethiopia in August of 2009. Just last week the clock read June 2009! Our dossier was submitted in March 2010. We were advised that our process could take another 9-12 months. I chuckled when I heard nine months, a lot like a pregnancy.

During this time I keep asking God, what are you wanting to do in me and my family during this time? This is really a faith building time! I can say he has been moving and preparing us in ways we didn't think possible! It's neat to take a step back and see how is hand is in this! Amazing to see how this is the right time for us a family to adopt, it's the right season.

Please keep praying for us during this time! Pray for Noah, that he is healthy and safe and that God will unite us as a family in his perfect time!

Well, our paperwork should be in Ethiopia by now...this is when the real waiting begins. We were informed by our agency that we are probably looking at another 9 -12 months! Kind of like a pregnancy...heheheh! We would love to have a referral (child that is chosen for us) this year! After that happens we will have to travel to Ethopia to meet him. Then come back to the states and travel back a few weeks later for the court date and finally get to bring our little guy home!

Oh yeah, we also got our petition for an orphan approved by the US government!

I can't express the excitement and nerves that are involved right now. There is plenty to keep us distracted/occupied while we wait.
Please continue to pray for God's will in the situation and that we will get to meet our son soon!

Yesterday we received word from our adoption agency that we will need to make two trips to Ethiopia...
One trip to meet our future son
The second trip to appear before court and for him to become our legal son.
While this will prolong our process all together, it will also mean additional costs. However, I know that this is all in God's hands and that his timing is everything.
Our Dossier is off to Washington D.C. Once it is done there it will be back to the agency and then off to Ethiopia and the real waiting will begin! This process can take 6 - 12 months.
Please continue to pray for us to continue to have favor with this process and for the dossier to be safe and not get lost anywhere in transit. Continue to pray for us as we prepare our home for Noah. Pray for Noah, whoever he is, where ever he is that God is with him, protecting him and in some way preparing him and his heart for his new forever family! Finally that the finances will continue to be available, God has been so faithful in this area already!!!
We are excited and looking forward to the day that we will meet Noah, hold him in our arms and let him know he will always be loved!!!

Well the dossier is done and has finally been approved by our agency. We just got word that our I-600A (petition for an orphan) is being processed. Brian sent off the power of attorney and the cover letter for the dossier to Columbia, SC for authentication. Once we get that back the dossier will be couriered to Washington, DC. Seems like the adoption could take another 6 - 12 months. On top of all of this it is my understanding that we still need approval from our government to adopt.
In the midst of all of this I believe God has been working on my heart. It's so weird to feel love for a child I have never met or even seen his face. I just know God has a child out there for us! I am excited, anxious, nervous...so many emotions. I am praying for our son, wherever he may be and whatever he is going through. That God will keep him healthy and safe! One day he will be with his forever family! We have decided to give him an American name and keep his Ethiopian given name as his middle name. His name will be Noah.
A couple of months ago, Selah our daughter, bought Noah a stuffed animal that turns into a blanket. She is going to give it to him when we go to pick him up. She said it can be his blanket for on the plane ride home! She is such a thoughtful big sister!
Prayer request: Please pray that we will be able to pay off the adoption fees quickly. Also pray for favor in all of our dealings with the adoption. That we will get approved and the process will all happen when it is meant to happen...in God's time!
Thanks everyone and God Bless!

We are experiencing our first frustration with the adoption process...the homestudy!!!
We had our homestudy back in August and here it is January and no final notatarized draft!!! What has been the most frustrating is to speak with others going through the process to find out that the homestudy was the quickest paperwork that they received. A few weeks ago we approved the 'final draft' and were told we would have the notarized copy right away. On top of that at one point during the process I was told that time was ticking and we needed to get this done. Yet there doesn't seem to be a fire lit under our provider!
If you read this please pray for our patience and that I don't go crazy on our social worker, thus endangering our chances of an approval! Please pray we will get this paperwork this week!