Over The Top

My friend Heidi game me this award. The challenge is to answer the questions below with one word answers and then nominate others to pass the award along. Consider yourself nominated by me if you are reading this and want to participate :) (and then let me know I nominated you so I can read your answers!)

1. Where is your cell phone? Upstairs

2. Your hair? Thin

3. Your mother? Kind

4. Your father? Frugal

5. Your favorite food? Chocolate

6. Your dream last night? Disappointing (Someone got a court date 6 days after their referral...and then I woke up...)

7. Your favorite drink? Tea

8. Your dream / goal? Mommy

9. What room are you in? Office

10. Your hobby? Baking/Reading

11. Your fear? Bees etc.

12. Where do you want to be in six years? Africa

13. Where were you last night? Church

14. Something that you aren't? Extroverted

15. Muffins? Poppyseed (almond)

16. Wish list item? Children

17. Where did you grow up? MN

18. Last thing you did? Dishes

19. What are you wearing? Squeaker

20. Your TV? Obsolete

21. Your pets? Messy

22. Friends? Special

23. Your life? Blessed

24. Your mood? Hopeful

25. Missing someone? Smooshface :)

26. Vehicle? Toyota

27. Something you're not wearing? Ring

28. Your favorite store? Amazon.com

29. Your favorite color? Pink

30. What was the last time you laughed? Now

31. Last time you cried? Thursday

32. Your best friend? Travis

33. One place that I could go over and over? Duluth

34. One person who emails you regularly? Dad

35. Favorite place to eat? Kitchen

Update

Thank you to all you wonderful people for the prayers and support! Our girl is doing better today and breathing easier. I found out she was never actually admitted to the hospital but sounds like she was taken there a couple times for breathing difficulties. Whew, I hope I never have to go through another day like yesterday!!! There's nothing like being across the world from your sick baby to make you feel helpless!

Please Pray

We would greatly appreciate anyone willing to pray for our little girl. She is in the hospital with pneumonia and has already had quite the impressive list of respiratory and other illnesses in her short life.

Wordless Wednesday

January 21, 2010

Today, after 8.5 months on the wait list, we were introduced to a beautiful, precious three month old girl! She has perfect chubby little cheeks and gorgeous big brown eyes!

We did things a little bit backward, first getting her medical information yesterday and then a referral today. That just seems to fit our process so far :) She has a medical condition that I researched all day yesterday and that had me awake until 3:30am. We knew we wanted to go for it no matter what, but we wanted to be prepared for anything. We had prepared ourselves for worst case scenario yesterday and today we were blown away with how perfect she is! It turns out she may not even need the invasive surgery we had anticipated! God is so good and we are blessed beyond measure!!!!

Anybody have any pictures of our little girl? She's been in Gladney's care since December 8th.

Help Haiti

Haiti Earthquate

I am asking you to please consider donating to Compassion International's Haiti earthquake relief to help the precious children and their families who are sponsored through Compassion. Compassion serves more than 65,000 children in Haiti. At least a third of them live in the areas that were hardest hit and they anticipate there will be many deaths and thousands who have lost everything. We sponsor a child through them (not in Haiti) and are very impressed with the work that they do and their commitment to each child. Please reach out in the name of Jesus to bring relief, comfort, love and restoration to precious children and families whose lives have been devastated by this crisis.

Eight

Eight months on the wait list today. We started this journey in May of 2008 and here we are in 2010 still waiting. Really hardly anything has gone smoothly or according to plan. I knew going into it that international adoption could be a wild ride and nothing is predictable. It's funny though, because I was so sure we would have one of those mythical perfect adoption experiences. What was I thinking? Has anyone even had one of those?

My expectations have shifted so many times I can't keep track. When we first began the adoption process we were with a different agency. This agency told us the entire adoption process from application to homecoming would be just 4 to 7 months! If this had held true we would have been home with our child(ren) for a year already! I was sure we'd have our little one home by last summer at the latest.

When we started out with Gladney the estimated wait for a referral was 3 to 5 months, but when we finally went on the wait list (after many more expectations had been challenged) the estimate went up to 8 months for a healthy infant referral. Being optimistic, I thought there is no way it will take until January to get a referral; after all, we are open to a variety of special needs and our age range is broader than most. Every holiday or special family event that has passed since we've been on the wait list I've thought for sure we'll have our referral by then.

I really am okay with the way things have gone so far. (Though it would be nice if just one or two things would go smoothly!) Many people have waited a lot longer than us, like this wonderful family who waited over 12 months for their referral of twins! I have learned a great deal along the way that will prepare me for things to come. Through this process I am learning I am not in control nor should I try to take control. I like to make plans and know what's going to happen every step of the way. Sometimes I just need to chill out. It's not about me. It's about God and it's about the little person(s) waiting for us in Ethiopia. God's plans are usually better than mine anyway.

“Be still, and know that I am God”
Psalm 46:10