Life through their lens

A work of art. Fashion photographer.Aspiring artist. Priceless photos. Who's the guilty one?? Someone got ahold of the camera!

Our new nephew!

Meet our newest little nephew coming home soon from Ethiopia, Fisher!! Scott and Heidi, Bart's brother and his wife, passed court this week and are so excited to finally bring their little boy home. They first saw his sweet face a long 9 months ago! It's been a long wait but God has been good. They are so thankful and so are we!! We love you Fisher!
We are still waiting on our paperwork. :( There's no problem with the case it's just that the official hasn't finished his paperwork yet. So, once he's done and it's submitted, we should know within a week when our court date is. Praying it's all scheduled and put on the calendar quick. Things keep getting more and more stretched out time wise in ET.

We've been blessed!

I want to thank all of you for your encouragement and comments since our referral! We feel so blessed to have such awesome support.

Today, we got a nice surprise in the mail. A big cookie cake from Mrs. Field's from the G6. Thanks guys!! You're the best. Jada is making her presence more and more into our home and I love it! First the referral, then the pink room, now the "Congrats on your new daugther/sister" cookie. How fun to feel like things are really moving along even though we're still waiting.

We're thankful for all of you!!!

Waiting on a court date!

Okay, I'm suppose to be making supper but just got great news and wanted to post! Our second medical reports came back on Jada and I just got a call from our Dr. Everything looks great and now we petition for a court date!! Yeah! Our case worker said this morning that if all the papers are in order, they should be sent to court and we should find out in one week when our court date is!! Of course there's always the possibility that we'll have to wait on additional paperwork. But, I'm trying to be positive! And the other news from my case worker is that they just scheduled court dates for the end of April. Soo, it's most likely going to be May for us. :( Seems so long to wait! But I'm feeling really good tonight. This is a huge praise. Moving forward to bring Jada home!!!

Now what????

Now the real waiting begins. Has it really been less than a week??? Last night I woke up around 4 because one of the boys was crying. I couldn't get back to sleep. I layed awake and thought about Jada (did I mention that's what we're naming her???). I prayed for loving nannies to care for her, to hold her each day, and give her time and attention. I prayed for her health, for sufficient food and for her to continue to develop on track. I prayed for God to prepare the way for her here as she moves home with us and grows up in America. She's so far away and she's going to change so much before I get to see her again. Our agency tries to give photo updates but my case worker said they're not real reliable. I can't do anything but pray...and pray...and pray.

Psalm 68:19-20 "Praise be to the Lord, to God our Saviour, who daily bears our burdens. Our God is a God who saves..."

And I'm doing something else. On Thursday I painted her bedroom pink. :) I know, it could totally be a while and really I'm not even sure her crib will go in this room. It might just be where we move her to a big bed. But it was really fun. It turned out a little more pink than I wanted. But, it's cute. And it's not blue! :)

This is the day that the Lord has made

For this child I prayed and the Lord has given me my petition which I asked of Him. I Samuel 1:27

Yes, today was referral day!!!!! February 10, 2009. I'll never forget it. I received a call around noon from my social worker from CWA. My heart started beating fast and I was shaking. I was trying to take notes on what she said and write down all the details but I was having a hard time focusing. I kept thinking of running to the computer and getting the email. Let me see her! So, after about 5 minutes on the phone, she said she'd email me the details and some pictures.

We have a beautiful 3 month old little girl!!! Really. She is just a little doll. Everything a little girl should be. In her pics she has a diaper on and nothing else. I can't wait to get her in some pink! :) We are beyond thankful.

When we started this adoption journey, it was all so foreign to me. Could I love another child? What will she look like? What's her personality going to be? Let me tell you, when I opened the email and saw her picture for the first time, I wept. I cried because she was so beautiful and perfect, because I had just told my sw a month ago that in my little utopia I'd want a 3 mo. old little girl, because God who started us on this journey had just brought us to the first stop along the way, and because I loved her already. God is so good. This is all His doing. It was never the desire of my heart to adopt. It was the desire of my heart to have a biological daughter in my child bearing days. God never allowed it. I didn't understand. But, now I see that this is His way of bringing Him glory. When God is talking to Moses about leading the Israelites out of Egypt he continually says so that Egypt will know that I am God. I believe our adoption journey has been so that we and others will know that God is God. He's in control.

This is the Lord's doing, it is marvellous in our eyes! (Psalm 118:23)

Birth family

As my family anxiously awaits our referral, I can't help but think of our daughter's first family. Her birth mom and others if there are any. As much as we want to see her and know everything about her and bring her here, I wonder if there's another on the other side of the world who is doing everything she can to keep her there. A mother who carried her in her womb, loved her before she was birthed, and nurtured her ever since. Are circumstances so terrible that as much as she wants to care for her daughter, she can't? Or maybe it's a different scenario. Maybe our little girl has been abandoned out of fear or death. What is going on??? I'd love to know. But, I don't, and so I pray. A friend of mine, Julie, who has adopted a little boy several years ago, recently wrote a "dear birth mom" letter. It was published on Family Life's Mom Blog. I have attached it below. So touching!

Dear Birth Mom,
As I wake this morning and spend a few minutes alone, I know we are thinking about each other today. The day our son turns five years old. I don't know your name and you don't know mine. We have never seen a photo of each other, never exchanged a word, do not even know how to find each other. And before anyone else wakes up and the celebrating begins, I sit here in my living room crying in wonder for what I have received and grieving for what you have lost.
The orphanage did not have any information about you to share with us. But I tell our son what I do know about you. How you chose to carry him in your womb for nine months. How you felt him kick and squirm and stretch your belly. How you nurtured him for a month before taking him to the orphanage, where you knew he would be cared for. And though you could not leave a name or identifying information, you cared enough to leave a note with his birth date. How you loved him enough to let him go.
Oh, how I wish you could see him now. Kiss his chubby cheeks, run your hand over his spiky hair that sticks straight up. Watch him wrestle with his daddy and big brother on the floor. Snuggle up with his sister on the couch to hear a story. Watch him dress up in his black cowboy boots, red cape, yellow belt, and beat-up cowboy hat to transform into "Gooey Man," the bravest little superhero on the block. Listen to him belt out songs learned in Sunday school, making up words as he goes. See how much he is loved. When his older sister was five, she explained to our neighbor that our son did not grow in my belly—he grew in my heart.
The only way you can possibly understand how much I love this boy is to know the Father who adopted me. He also lovingly takes care of those who are alone, hurt, and needy. He calls me daughter, clothes and feeds me, gives me an inheritance, and loves me unconditionally. Please, oh please, allow Him to adopt you, too! For if we share that inheritance then we will finally be able to meet. One day, we can curl up on a heavenly couch with our son and catch up . You can tell me about the emotions you felt when you found out you were expecting him. I will know where he gets his wicked sense of humor, that little dimple, and his arresting smile. You will be able to hear his corny made-up jokes and laugh along with his infectious giggle. I will share about our journey to bring him home. We will have eternity to romp and play together with this miracle we both call "son."
I hear our little man yawning and stretching, and so I must go. But as I think of you today, I am sending up a prayer that we will some day celebrate our son's birthday together.
With love,
His Mama

Too Much Testosterone

We're ready for a girl around here!

Finding a name....

No referral news but since we are number one I'm starting to get worried b/c we still don't have a name picked out! I think I want to keep her Ethiopian name as her middle name (any advice on this from other adoptive families??). So, it shouldn't be too hard to come up with a name. After all, I have four boys. I should have all kinds of girl names. I want something that goes with my boys names. Not another k sound, but something that flows nicely. :)