5 MONTHS OF PAPER CHASING nears the end!

Well, we officially started our journey into adoption the last week of July 2010.  Here we are in the last week of the year and our paper chase is almost over!  I am waiting for the ever elusive 171H to arrive in the mail.  This is the form from Homeland Security that says it is okay with the US government for Michael and I to adopt a little girl from Ethiopia.  As soon as I have this magic form in my waiting little hands and I have a notary sign the letter that must accompany it,  I will be ready to mail my dossier (That is a fancy word for 5 months of paper work.) to AWAA.

Here is our original dossier and two copies that must be mailed:

One element of our dossier was to scrapbook family photos.  Here is a photo of how they turned out:

They will use ALL this information in our dossier (including the photos) to match us to our Little Girl.  Of course, I believe God already knows who she is and He will be leading them to her.

Once our dossier is approved, it will be mailed to Ethiopia and we will have an official DTE (that is dossier to Ethiopia) date!  So far, I have only had to wait small bits of time between tasks.  Once this dossier is out of my hands...it is ALL in God's hands.  There will be nothing else to give me the illusion of control.  I will have only to wait on His perfect timing.

Our Best Christmas...So Far!

Just before Thanksgiving, Michael declared that he wanted to have "an over the top" Christmas this year.  By this he meant lots of Christmas decorations, friends and family filling our home, and plenty of good food. 

He and the kids decorated the outside of the house for the first time sense we have lived here...6 years.  We put up the BIG tree covered in ornaments that we've collected over the years.  The girls share a small tree outside their rooms that they decorate with very feminine ornaments.  Michela and I surpised Michael with  an additional tree while he was away one day.  How many men receive a Christmas tree as a gift and are SO happy about it?!?! 

We had my family over for Christmas Eve and they joined us for the candle light service at our church.  Michael's family came to spend Christmas day with us and helped serve the community Christmas meal at our church.  Sunday morning our Sunday School class came over for breakfast before following each other to Worship.

At church this morning the music leader asked us to think of the best Christmas we have had and Michael said "This was it!"

As if all of this were not enough...we received gifts from our friends and family toward our adoption fund.  (Be sure to check out our puzzle on the PUZZLE PAGE to the left.) We have been SO blessed.  Our cup is overflowing!  This has truly been a WONDERFUL CHRISTMAS!

Lord willing, we will do it all again next year with our Little Girl.   Thank you ALL for helping to make this our best Christmas...so far.

The Miracle of Adoption

Maybe it's the Christmas season or spending so much time with family, but I am feeling the pain in my heart to hold my youngest daughter. I imagine her smile and I long for the great pleasure of getting to know her.

This week I had a dream that I had a baby without ever being pregnant. When she was born I didn't get to hold her. They took her from me and sent me home. I was not allowed to visit her and I had to wait months to return for her. Can you imagine? Well, that's the best way to explain how this feels. It is such a miracle that God is able to create so much love in a mom who has never even seen her daughter!

Thank you Lord for the miracle of adoption. Thank you for allowing me to be a part of your plan. I ask that you would comfort our girl while we can't and prepare her heart for her forever family. Thank you Lord that you have adopted me into your forever family!