Sad news to post

A couple weeks ago we made the decision to not adopt our 2 boys. Ty's job is unstable right now and the stress and the anxiety this has created on Ty have made it impossible to continue. It was unfair to ask our agency to wait for Ty's job situation to get better and mostly unfair to the boys for them to stay longer in the orphange.

This was a heart breaking decision and I would have done anything to see a different result. The blessing is our agency found another famliy the same day we notified them to adopt the boys. As sad as this is I am soooooo happy they will be coming home soon (just sad it will not be to our home).

Please pray for us as our journey is on hold right now. I would love to proceed and find the child/children God has for our famliy very soon but it is in God's hands.

Thanks everyone for your prayers. Please pray for peace as it is very hard to pass the nursery room every day and know our boys will never live here.

Please Pray!

Well the Christmas plays and performances are over and all went well!

Please be in prayer for Ty (my Husband). He has been sick and just stressed with work! We could use your prayers for him: especially health and lots of great business deals despite the economy.

Merry Christmas and don't forget to take time to appreciate why we celebrate Christmas! Jesus was born in a manger so he could DIE for us, everyone of us! Because of THIS we can have eternal life with him someday in Heaven. Please don't get so wrapped up in this season you forget why we even celebrate Christmas!

Blessings and Peace to everyone right now this season.

Dossier in Ethiopia!!! YIPEEEEE

It has been crazy around here! My oldest Daugher Katala has 4 Christmas plays this week. One yesterday afternon, one tonight (both for school) and then one Sat and One Sunday (for Church). I am helping with Decorations, stage directions, and cues for the church play so needless to say our week is INSANE!! :)

But on the Adoption side.... We got an email today from our agency that said

Rachel and Ty,

I just wanted to inform you that your dossier was received in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on December 4, 2008. It will now be authenticated, translated, then authenticated again. This process takes approximately 2-3 weeks. If you have any further questions feel free to contact us at the office. We will be updating you on the next steps of your adoption when we receive more information.

Molly Barnett- (she is from BFAS- our agency)

YIPEE!!!! This means we can now get scheduled for a court date! GO Agitu GO!!!

Also a prayer request: Our Director of our Agency: Agitu, is in Ethiopia! She is amazing and has been working tirelessly for us all but she is sick! Please pray for her to recover quickly so she can be healthy and be able to do all the work she is trying to do!

Thanks everyone!

Will post again soon! Hopefully with a court date!

Pictures of the Boys Bedroom (Before and After)

This is the boys room AFTER all the hard work! What do you think? My favorite part is the rocking elephant (like a rocking horse but a rocking elephant, had to buy, got a get deal)!

This is the boys bedroom before I painted it. It was my youngest Daughters room!

Dossier on its way to Ethiopia and Finished Painting the Boys Bedroom

We are sooooo excited, our dossier is in an envelope and on its way to Ethiopia (DC first then Ethiopia) on Friday!! This means we should hear a court date scheduled around Christmas time! What an awesome Christmas Present! Then only a few months until we get to pick up our boys!

I finished repainting their bedroom this week and took pictures (I am trying to figure out how to post so you can all see:) (Please SOMEBODY remind me to NEVER paint hot pink on the wall again, 4 coats of paint later ad 3 gallons of paint it is finally tan and not Pink now)!!!

Painting the boys room and Dropped off our DOSSIER!!

Today has been busy. The boys room which was Hot Pink until today is now officially a boys room because it is not pink anymore! I have only gotten one priming coat on it but hopefully will finish tomorrow. I will post pictures of the before and after for all to see (as soon as I am done and figure out how to post pics) :)

We also went to the BFAS (Better Future Adoption Services) office today to drop off our Dossier! YEAH!!!! This just gets us one more step closer to our boys. Now these documents have to be authenticated and then Translated. After that we can get scheduled for a court date! Hallelujah! I was told to expect March so we will pray that is when the court date happens and we get to travel to get the boys!

PRAISE GOD! I171-H Came Yesterday!

I didn't check my mail yesterday and so after church today I checked our mailbox and I was ecstatic to find our I171-H approval!! YEAH !!

For those of you sho don't know what that is, it is our Immigration approval to adopt an orphan a bring them back to America (you have to get permission or the visa and passports can not be granted when we pick up the kids). This is HUGE!!! Now the only thing we have to wait for is the court date and medicals!

I am dropping our dossier off in the office tomorrow! 1 step closer to bringing home our boys!