WE HAVE A COURT DATE!!!!!!
We are needing to be in Ethiopia on November 22nd, 2011!!!! This will be our court date for our two little girls!!!! Steve and I will both be going, and an "as yet unnamed family member" will be staying with our great eight at home on the farm. This will probably be about as close as Steve and I will ever get for an exotic honeymoon! LOL! What a crazy trip!
We don't yet know when exactly we will be leaving, that is all up in the air yet, though we are in touch with our travel agency - Susan Parr Travel does the most amazing adoption travel work you have ever seen! I am so excited and so scared at the same time!
After court, Steve and I will fly back home, as of course we are needed there. We are hoping that all goes smoothly and we are able to travel two to four months after passing court to bring our littlest girls home to their siblings. So far, that is all we know.
If you could please pray for the following needs as we enter the final leg of this journey:
* we need to pay the final fees to the adoption agency, a total of around $8800
* we need to purchase airline tickets, we are unsure of the total as of yet, probably $3000 to $5000
* there will be fees of $808 payable to the Embassy I believe for processing of the next form for immigration.
We are awaiting our paychecks this week to send in the current immigration form needed. Sigh. They are coming, but they just aren't here yet. It is a season of being wildly careful and trying to balance things that are way beyond our budget. Those are the realities of adoption. I hope some day we can fund someone's adoption! What a blessing it would be to know of someone in the situation we are in now, and to just supply the need, on behalf of the children who need a family. I would just love it!!!!
So, that is our good news!!! Progress!
And on another note, life is up to its usual adventures! Alex was the Dad in the play Bridge to Terebithia with Evergreen Productions this last week. He was awesome in a very delicate role and his maturity really shone through. Zeri was recruited from being a stagehand to being the school custodian for the show, and even had a costume. He had so much fun! Faith was the bunny who introduces the show and was just adorable. We were the official "dog handlers" as there was a real dog in the show - he made it way easy as he is the most laid back dog ever. As usual, the whole family was involved and it was great fun.
So much fun that several of the kids were at tryouts tonight for The Best Christmas Pageant Ever with Evergreen. As much as I hate to imagine any more running, the show is so great, the folks are so great, and the kids learn so much and grow so much, I just cannot turn it down! I WON'T be in it this year (I was a telephone lady the last two years) because likely Steve and I will be en route to Ethiopia for the last show!
Tomorrow Faith and Tsion start singing lessons with a great lady. They are so excited. I cannot wait to see this new adventure.
Faith has gotten a puppy, all her own. Dee-Dee is absolutely adorable and totally knows that she is Faith's puppy, needing to sleep on something that Faith wore if she isn't home. It has been a time of really getting a glimpse into parenthood with a new baby, complete with sleepless nights. Two weeks later, Dee-Dee is starting to sleep through the night, for which poor Faith is grateful (Mom and Dad took the puppy in their room one night so she could get some rest!). I will post photos as soon as I can. She is an English Cocker Spaniel/"something that looked like an Austrailian Shepherd mix" puppy. Golden and with those curly little cocker ears. White paws and a white stripe on her chest. Not like we needed "something else going on", but it sure is fun. (Our elderly german shepherd has been showing her age and doing more and more poorly. We are hoping that she will improve, but it doesn't look likely.) Faith and Zeri and Tsion are signed up for dog project in 4H and will take the dogs to dog training starting in January, so I am hopeful that all will learn some more manners. Faith has read every dog training/raising/care book that we have been able to find, just devouring it, and then telling me all about what it told her to do to teach her puppy. She takes her responsibilities seriously!
Ben still is busy with soccer. Solly had a bit of an adventure and so is not playing right now, but has gained a great deal of wisdom. Let's just leave it at that.
Alex and Zeri are finishing up driver's ed, and I have to admit that I am GREATLY looking forward to having more drivers in the family - and we have acquired my dad's pickup truck as he has moved up to a fancy SUV - which he and Mom greatly deserve!!!!! And we are grateful for a third vehicle that soon will be able to help with some of the running!!!!
I am trying to write more often, but have to admit that I am a bit sheepish about it. I AM a published author a few times over, in a local magazine, but the thought of people actually reading what I write is still amazing. I would love to write the story of our family's growth and adventures, but that is going to take some time!
Well, I have to admit, I am trying to learn to slow down some, as we prepare for this next phase of our lives. The one thing I love about winter is that it grounds us at home a bit more, in theory anyway!
God bless you all!!!!
"For I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans for hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11
We are needing to be in Ethiopia on November 22nd, 2011!!!! This will be our court date for our two little girls!!!! Steve and I will both be going, and an "as yet unnamed family member" will be staying with our great eight at home on the farm. This will probably be about as close as Steve and I will ever get for an exotic honeymoon! LOL! What a crazy trip!
We don't yet know when exactly we will be leaving, that is all up in the air yet, though we are in touch with our travel agency - Susan Parr Travel does the most amazing adoption travel work you have ever seen! I am so excited and so scared at the same time!
After court, Steve and I will fly back home, as of course we are needed there. We are hoping that all goes smoothly and we are able to travel two to four months after passing court to bring our littlest girls home to their siblings. So far, that is all we know.
If you could please pray for the following needs as we enter the final leg of this journey:
* we need to pay the final fees to the adoption agency, a total of around $8800
* we need to purchase airline tickets, we are unsure of the total as of yet, probably $3000 to $5000
* there will be fees of $808 payable to the Embassy I believe for processing of the next form for immigration.
We are awaiting our paychecks this week to send in the current immigration form needed. Sigh. They are coming, but they just aren't here yet. It is a season of being wildly careful and trying to balance things that are way beyond our budget. Those are the realities of adoption. I hope some day we can fund someone's adoption! What a blessing it would be to know of someone in the situation we are in now, and to just supply the need, on behalf of the children who need a family. I would just love it!!!!
So, that is our good news!!! Progress!
And on another note, life is up to its usual adventures! Alex was the Dad in the play Bridge to Terebithia with Evergreen Productions this last week. He was awesome in a very delicate role and his maturity really shone through. Zeri was recruited from being a stagehand to being the school custodian for the show, and even had a costume. He had so much fun! Faith was the bunny who introduces the show and was just adorable. We were the official "dog handlers" as there was a real dog in the show - he made it way easy as he is the most laid back dog ever. As usual, the whole family was involved and it was great fun.
So much fun that several of the kids were at tryouts tonight for The Best Christmas Pageant Ever with Evergreen. As much as I hate to imagine any more running, the show is so great, the folks are so great, and the kids learn so much and grow so much, I just cannot turn it down! I WON'T be in it this year (I was a telephone lady the last two years) because likely Steve and I will be en route to Ethiopia for the last show!
Tomorrow Faith and Tsion start singing lessons with a great lady. They are so excited. I cannot wait to see this new adventure.
Faith has gotten a puppy, all her own. Dee-Dee is absolutely adorable and totally knows that she is Faith's puppy, needing to sleep on something that Faith wore if she isn't home. It has been a time of really getting a glimpse into parenthood with a new baby, complete with sleepless nights. Two weeks later, Dee-Dee is starting to sleep through the night, for which poor Faith is grateful (Mom and Dad took the puppy in their room one night so she could get some rest!). I will post photos as soon as I can. She is an English Cocker Spaniel/"something that looked like an Austrailian Shepherd mix" puppy. Golden and with those curly little cocker ears. White paws and a white stripe on her chest. Not like we needed "something else going on", but it sure is fun. (Our elderly german shepherd has been showing her age and doing more and more poorly. We are hoping that she will improve, but it doesn't look likely.) Faith and Zeri and Tsion are signed up for dog project in 4H and will take the dogs to dog training starting in January, so I am hopeful that all will learn some more manners. Faith has read every dog training/raising/care book that we have been able to find, just devouring it, and then telling me all about what it told her to do to teach her puppy. She takes her responsibilities seriously!
Ben still is busy with soccer. Solly had a bit of an adventure and so is not playing right now, but has gained a great deal of wisdom. Let's just leave it at that.
Alex and Zeri are finishing up driver's ed, and I have to admit that I am GREATLY looking forward to having more drivers in the family - and we have acquired my dad's pickup truck as he has moved up to a fancy SUV - which he and Mom greatly deserve!!!!! And we are grateful for a third vehicle that soon will be able to help with some of the running!!!!
I am trying to write more often, but have to admit that I am a bit sheepish about it. I AM a published author a few times over, in a local magazine, but the thought of people actually reading what I write is still amazing. I would love to write the story of our family's growth and adventures, but that is going to take some time!
Well, I have to admit, I am trying to learn to slow down some, as we prepare for this next phase of our lives. The one thing I love about winter is that it grounds us at home a bit more, in theory anyway!
God bless you all!!!!
"For I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans for hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11
