What are you waiting For?

Today I had the opportunity to write/share on a blog that both Ryan and I contribute to each month. Some friends of ours run a great thing over at forthefamily.org     :)

Waiting...honestly it's the story of our lives right now and the reason for so few posts on our own blog. Not a whole lot to share these days. The regional government in Ethiopia is being confusing and unresponsive. They are holding many referrals that orphanages have  sent their way...paper work is just simply NOT BEING PROCESSED. And our agency does not know why...

Please be praying for God to satisfy our hearts as we wait, and pray that we would trust Him in giant ways as we are again reminded we have no control over so many things in life. Thank you friends!

http://forthefamily.org/waiting/

We are ALL waiting for something.
Maybe you’re waiting in line right now, waiting for the timer on the oven to beep, or waiting for that phone call. You’re waiting to hear if you’re forgiven… or maybe you’re waiting to hear the baby’s heartbeat.

You might be waiting for a positive pregnancy test or for good news from your boss.
Or… are you waiting for a job? a ride? encouragement?

The reality is this…we are all waiting for something. What is it for you? If you can’t pinpoint it, ask yourself this: what am I nervous about or anxious for?

Isn’t it tough sometimes to just. wait? Like really, really hard? I don’t know about you, but waiting can cause me to be ugly. That is simply because waiting requires patience, and that far too often tends to be a lacking fruit in this season of my life with young kids. What else does waiting require? Hope. Trust. Surrender. But honestly, I think that those are words we toss around way too easily as followers of Jesus. What do those terms even mean?

Let me first say this…
My family right now—we are waiting… for our our boy to be home with our family. We started at #77 on the adoption wait list for Ethiopia, and after 15 months just on the list, we are still at #15. There are have been far too many months where our number has remained motionless.

Yes I know we have been blessed with 3 biological children who thrill us, humble us, and bless us every day. Ryan and I love them more than life itself.

But we also have a son, and he’s not with us yet. I have a lot of friends and acquaintances who have been walking this road of adoption with us. All of those people have their kiddos home now, as we still wait.

So what does waiting do deep within me and what could it do for you?
It causes us to decide whether we will rejoice with those who are rejoicing. It causes us to celebrate OTHER people even when we don’t get the same blessing, promotion, or get-outta-jail-free-card. And it reminds us to weep and mourn with those who are suffering and waiting and walking on much longer, tougher, or more painful roads.

Even as we wait we are to “rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying. When God’s people are in need, be ready to help them… Be happy with those who are happy, and weep with those who weep” (Romans 12:12-13, 15 NLT).

Or… put another way, we are to “rejoice and exult in hope; be steadfast and patient in suffering and tribulation; be constant in prayer… Rejoice with those who rejoice (sharing others’ joy), and weep with those who weep (sharing others’ grief)” (AMP version).

What does God’s word tell us to do as we wait or as we “suffer?” It tells us to be patient and to keep on praying. It tells us to step beyond ourselves. My dear friend said this to me the other day: God does so much good work when we wait. It’s so hard, but He has work to do in us all.

“…We are enlarged in the waiting. We, of course, don’t see what is enlarging us. But the longer we wait, the larger we become, and the more joyful our expectancy” (Romans 8: 23-25 MSG).
So join me today and take your waiting to the Father. Open your hands in surrender, and ask God what He has for you in this time.

Blessings,
Libby Snow

Been Dry in this neighborhood

Well I'm trying to stay positive after today's update, but the reality is that there are just really dry seasons in the adoption journey. Anyone who has walked this road would concur.

There is no movement in my belly, no glimpses of hope with the sound of the baby's heartbeat, and no ultrasounds that tell me he is healthy and well. So, we really really do look SO forward to the first of each month when we get our only bit of communication from our agency.

Today was a let down.
Still no movement. I had misunderstood the email last month that led me to believe the courts had opened at the beginning of October. When in reality, they just opened two weeks ago. This means that the Ethiopian court house and our agency's connections over there are just starting to dive into a really really big pile of paperwork after having been closed for so long.

We stayed at #15 this month.

But I believe in Jesus.
And I believe that He loves me, my family, and our son out there. My friend Mandee called me today with such encouragement and great reminders. Numbers on a list mean something, but not everything. Paperwork is important, but God honestly knows the PERFECT child for our family. And Mandee, who walked this road just months ago, understands what waiting is like. I know that the tables will be turned at some point and I will be able to encourage another waiting mom someday...because then I will see and I will know for SURE that our son was a perfect match for our family. And in perfect timing.

We actually got to meet our friend Mandee and Chad's daughter, brought home from Haiti just two months ago, when we were in Columbus this past month. This was probably one of the highlights of October for me. I have prayed and prayed for their daughter, listened as Mandee wrestled with God's seemingly evident silence too many times in their journey, and learned from her as she's been steps ahead of me in this journey.
 But I got to meet this girl.
And she was great.
She is Chad and Mandee's daughter. She and Emma ran off together and played with Hello Kitty and dressed up. Sweet Geralda showed Emma around her room and shared pictures with us of her life in Haiti. But she is home. And all is well.

We talked with the Lowers about caring for their daughter's hair (and what that will be like when our little man comes home). We talked about how terrible it is to compare your story and journey with someone walking the same path. We talked about sleep and discipline and food and school. It was GOOD. And I couldn't stop smiling as I saw them finally home with ALL THREE kids. What a joy.

Our time will come. So I cling to that and I am hopeful for a more fruitful November!

All Quiet on the Homefront

Been way too long since we've given updates and that's mainly because it's been pretty quiet around these neck of the woods. As stated in our previous blog, Ethiopia's courts were closed for approximately 6 weeks, which included the entire month of September. That prevented us from seeing any movement on the list for our Oct 1 update.

The cool thing, however, is that three of our very close friends/family have had such excitement in their adoption journeys the past month or so. It honestly keeps us excited and encouraged as we see people around us making strides and learning in their journeys...all different styles and at all different places. One of our friends, a local family in town got news that their local/domestic adoption was finalized and their daughter is now legally theirs. Awesome.
Another dear friend of ours is with her family (husband and 3 kids) in Uganda right now...been there for 2 weeks and won't return until Thanksgiving! Their family is about to grow from 5 to 7...
Once again--awesome.
(This is their family's blog: http://goodnightdreambig.com/)
And Ryan's sister and her family are about to met their daughter (our neice), and welcome her into their family as they travel to China in a few short weeks. What blessings. (http://prestonpartyofsix.blogspot.com/)

The only news we have received isn't the most encouraging. We have to update our home study and the trail of paperwork that accompanies that. We need to have our fingerprints scanned again for the USCIS and we need our immigration approval extended. But ya know what? These are the things that will bring our son home. And although we have so many stepping stones ahead of us to build the trail, it's being traveled down and we're a-truckin along! There are many many many moments I find myself daydreaming about our travels to Africa in 2014. There are many times I tear up with emotion (or slightly panic) when I think about what it will FEEL like to step off that plane with our boy and have him meet his siblings. And both Ryan and I pray pray pray for this munchkin to be the perfect fit for our family. So our minds and hearts are full and anxious.

Ryan and I have also joined the troops over at http://forthefamily.org/ and will be participating as monthly bloggers/contributers for this great ministry. Check out their blog and be blessed by the many fantastic writers!

At least we like roller coasters!!

Got the email today. Moved 1 spot last month. A little different than the 16 we moved in July! 

We knew (but had forgotten) that the Ethiopian courts close for 6-8 weeks every fall. This dramatically affects, and almost halts, referrals from coming through. 

"The Ethiopian court system closes down for about 6 weeks at the end of every summer to coincide with the Ethiopian New Year. Typically this closure extends from mid-August through the entire month of September. The first cases after the closure are usually heard the first or second week in October."

Sooooo because the courts are closed, we are going to be delayed for a few months. 

It was good to be reminded today from a few people that God has the right time for our family and current kids, for our son, and their brother to come home. Trusting in that. 

Seasons Change

Ryan took us on a detour tonight. We Packed the car up (why does that take so long after only being at the lake for 2 nights?), threw Jammies on the kids, graham crackers in each lil' hand...and therein began our familiar 50 min trek home. 

But, we took a detour. He wanted to see the "homes out in the country...cause...ya never know Lib!" 😉 There IS something kinda magical about the countryside. I think I would get lonely if we lived out there, but what do I know? Anyways, while exploring tonight, we came across this field. Right next to a corn field but it wasn't corn that was growing. Not sure exactly WHAT it is. Ellie yelled from the backseat, "mom! That field is raspberry looking! Whyyyyy?" 

 

This picture barely captures it--but it was lovely as all get out. Green around the edges, tan hay of some sort underneath, and then that "raspberry" or reddish colored stuff on top. 

(Ha! Anyone who is remotely educated in farming is legitimately chuckling at me right now). 

But here's the deal...I felt like it was a field of in-between. 

In between two corn fields. 

In between green and beige--hence, raspberry...

In between summer and fall. 

In between seasons. 

That's our life right now. We are in between. And it's uncomfortable at times. 

One week left of summer and school begins. A new schedule and routine awaits. In between seasons. 

Ryan and I are both training for races right now. We have to keep plugging away at the running yet fear race day! In between seasons. 

Ellie is battling being a little kid but growing up and experiencing maturing emotions (I think that's the nice way of saying it)--and she is in between. 

We wait for the day when our call comes from the agency telling us who our son will be. No control. Nothing we can do to speed it up or hand select this soon-to-be Snow. We are IN BETWEEN. In between our familiar and even rather predictable life right now and...well, not exactly sure. But a lot of change ahead. 

God has been working on me this summer. I think He's been digging deep in me as a mom, a friend, a wife, a family member...I'm having to surrender control and trust God bigger. I guess that's what He asks of us in in-between times. 

Ironically my little Griff's memory verse from church last month was this...

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take. (Proverbs 3:5, 6 NLT)" 

So we learn together. :)

Get Outa Town!!!!

That's what I said when I opened my email today. 

And then I screamed. 

:)

T'was a good day and a good report for our monthly update. 

Our hearts are racing a bit tonight, and we have a bit more of a kick in our steps---as we moved 16 whole spots in July!!!!

Yesssss! Praise God for this news. And, moving those 16 spots actually puts us right at #16 on the list now. 

Only 15 people ahead of us. 15 more people who are waiting for their face, name, and picture, to show up in their inbox. Maybe only 10 or 12 are requesting 0-2 boys like us...? 

WE. ARE. SO. CLOSE

My mind kind of skips to the what-if's at this point...now anticipating a quicker timeline than we were even just 2 months ago. 

So, unless for some reason referrals stop happening altogether the next two months, we could very well be "meeting" (via email) our little dude oh so soon. :)

Once our agency matches us with a child, very soon after we receive our court date and book flights to travel to Ethiopia for trip #1.

Lots of joy and smiles at the Snow household tonight. We celebrated with a game of PIG under the basketball hoop, and some leftover ice cream pie. It was a little bit easier tonight, for us to imagine our little man joining the fun (or complete chaos) before too long. 

But...

Psalm 16 is appropriate tonight. For a lot of reasons. Not only is 16 the magic number today, but this was the Psalm I read in its entirety to Linda, my mother-in-law, the last time I ever saw her. It was a moment I will never forget and treasure that we shared together before she went to be with Jesus. She would be rejoicing with us tonight as well. This I am certain. 

"Lord, you alone are my inheritance, my cup of blessing. You guard all that is mine. The land you have given me is a pleasant land. What a wonderful inheritance! I will bless the Lord who guides me; even at night my heart instructs me. I know the Lord is always with me. I will not be shaken, for he is right beside me.  No wonder my heart is glad, and I rejoice. My body rests in safety." (Psalms 16:5-9 NLT)

...the rooster crows

The break of dawn...

And the rooster crows. 

Literally. As I sit here and watch the sunrise, there is a rooster crowing over my right shoulder, on the farm down the road. He is claiming his territory, welcoming the day for his fellow chicken friends...and for me. 

It's kind of a "romantic thing" that roosters intrinsically know to crow at the break of dawn. It's his voice and his job. It's a territorial thing for the mature chicken on the farm too: 

 "The highest ranked rooster has priority in breaking the dawn, and lower [ranking] roosters are patient enough to wait and follow the highest ranked rooster each morning," said Yoshimura

But the neatest thing to me, as I sit here and listen to my buddy down the road, is that he does it EVERY morning. It's a new dawn and a new day and he chimes it in proudly and loudly and quite clearly. He is faithful in his job. 

I was talking to my friend Jess yesterday about our family and how refreshing it was for us to jump up on the list a little bit. Our last update was a breath of fresh air for us. I told her I feel like we're entering a new season now as we're getting closer, "Breaking the dawn," if you will. We talked about a dear friend of mine and her recent experiences in Uganda when she went to meet her children. Their family of 5 surely is entering a new season, about to jump to a family of 7. 

But like my rooster friend, chiming in this new day for me, I need to crow again TOMORROW, or at our next update on Aug 1, even if its disappointing. OR when we finally meet our son and can't bring him home yet...or when we do bring him home and feel a little scared about what's ahead. Keep on crowing. 

 read this just now:

"God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble. So we will not fear when earthquakes come and the mountains crumble into the sea. Let the oceans roar and foam. Let the mountains tremble as the waters surge!  A river brings joy to the city of our God, the sacred home of the Most High. God dwells in that city; it cannot be destroyed. From the very break of day, God will protect it." (Psalms 46:1-5 NLT)

So thankful we have a reason to crow at every new season. So thankful "God is dwelling in this city" among us. 

Who knows what our family will look like a year from now. Man that is so hard to imagine. But our God protects us at the very break of every.day. 

Happy Birthday!!

Today I turned 34.
I feel blessed today.
I was surprised by a dear friend and my great hubby with an overnight getaway last night, followed up with a tour of GREAT food this morning.
Another dear friend took such good care of my kiddos while we were gone, and I came home today to hugs and smooches from the munchkins. 
I got some beautiful flowers for my kitchen counter.And I really love flowers.

And best of all...not only is today my birthday but it's the FIRST day of the month. You know what that means. That means we check our inbox 2x an hour until "WAIT LIST" pops up in the subject line.
And today it did.
And oh did it...

We moved 8 spots this month...6 of the referrals that were given in June were 0-2 year olds, which is what we want to see moving steadily.
We are currently #32 on the list! Praise God!

Happiest of birthdays.
Yes we wait... but yes we see God continue to prepare us and nudge us and get us closer to meeting our boy.
So excited. So thankful. 

What's the forecast?

I am always looking at the forecast. I got that from my mom. She loves to tell me what it's going to be like out there "this weekend." And she has officially caused me to be addicted. I even have the local weather app. And when I know I'm hosting company or having a party...game over...you can bet I will be checking that app at least 12 times the day before.

It's hard to predict the weather though, I would imagine. I'm not a meteorologist, and frankly don't even know one personally, BUT I can imagine that they have days where they bite their lips and say "whoops." It happens. Sometimes the forecast is wrong.

Ryan and I did some premarital counseling for a young couple (and great friends) last night. We talked about how one of us always seems to be realistic or pessimistic (that would be Ryan) about life situations, and one of us seems to be idealistic or optimistic (that would be me) about life and things we are going through. Neither is better than the other. They are both faulty. Kinda like the meteorologist...he/she is just faulty at times. Especially when it comes to predicting the future.

So. We get asked ALL THE TIME about our number on "the infamous list." We get asked monthly, or maybe more, why it costs so much to adopt a child when our country and other countries should make it affordable and easy, due to the number of orphans in this world. AND...we get asked bi-weekly why it takes so long to adopt a child when there are millions of orphans out there needing homes.Great questions.

 If you ask Ryan (remember...the realist or pessimist at times), we are just crusin along and being patient as we wait for our turn to get the phone call that tells us our son is ready. "This process is taking just as long as we thought it would. Don't get excited yet....we have a long way to go."

But if you ask me...(the idealist and optimist...and crazy planner...and painfully impatient one of the bunch) then I will tell you that:
 we are slowly but surely moving up the list.
currently at #40. 
although we are #40 that does NOT mean that the 39 people ahead of us want a 0-2 boy
so maybe we're more like #20???
we have picked out a name (not gonna tell ya yet) and we hope to know who he is by Christmas.

The truth is this...as humans, we can't predict the weather next week. And we surely can't predict or plan for the timing of our little dude's homecoming. Just can't happen.
My friend Beth reminded me the other day that the age, personality, character, sleep habits, eating habits, and TIMING of this child will be perfect for us.
Out of our hands.
Trusting something bigger.
Not gonna keep "looking at the weather." Taking a deep breath today.
:)

 

A few more...

A few more spots indeed!
We went from #45 on April 1 to #42 on May 1. These aren't the kind of jumps we're praying for, as we were moving 6-10 spots each month when we first jumped on board...BUT, we are moving. Praise God for that; we are moving!
I say that every month, but it's true...there is growth. And we stand steadfast as life moves on.
Ryan and I were taking a walk yesterday and talked about what "our ideal" would be as we look forward to the next 12 months in this journey. (We also have people ask us this question all the time).
This is what we're hopeful for, what we'll pray for, and what we'd love to have you pray along with us:

That we would average 5 or more spots per month for the next season.
That we would travel to meet our son for the first time around Christmas/the New Year.
That we would bring home our little guy by this time next year, which would put us in the 2.5 year time frame of start---finish.

We are VERY well aware of the emotional implications of having ANY mental timeline in the adoption process. It's not always wise and it's almost never realistic. We have friends who have graciously fallen within the average 2--2.5 year process of a typical adoption. We also have friends who have brought home their child much sooner...and much later. 

The bottom line is that we have not grown weary and we have not grown impatient. We have great joy in our hearts as we imagine how our family will change.
And...our family is already changing. We are THRILLED that we will have a niece "home" from China in the next 6 months, Jenna Jean Preston will be joining the Snow/Preston family very soon. We could not be more excited to meet this girl and watch as Ryan's sister/brother-in-law take the first steps in becoming a new mom and dad once again.

You see, there is much to be celebrated and we have reasons for great joy!! 

Rosie

We call Emma, "Rosie," but that's not her name. It's not even her middle name. But everything about her is "Rosie," as she came out of my womb with the largest rosy cheeks a mom could ever desire so as to smooch and cuddle.
As she has grown up to be 5, her nickname still stands. She is strikingly beautiful and hard to open up at times. She is rather mysterious and OH so sensitive. She is my lil rose.

Putting Emma to bed the other night I was totally enamored by her innocence and had the most intense moment of loving this kid. I was scratching her back, knowing my days with her like this are fleeting. The age old parallel of Gods love for us, as compared to our love for our kids, hit me like a ton of bricks. I sat next to her all teary eyed as I tried to even remotely understand that incredibly real comparison of how much God loves his children. All of them.
It's something spoken too often and rarely understood. But I think I tasted a glimpse of that this week.

I know God loves me drastically more than my love for my 3 kids. I tried to picture this brown little face out there, that will someday be close to mine. It's hard not knowing him yet. But I was thankful in that moment that God used my lil Rose to help me smell-- or taste--or see, that HE loves that little brown face, Ellie, Emma, and Griffin, even more than I do. I guess being a parent is constantly learning that we aren't in control, eh? It's constantly learning we have to trust the God who made them, WITH them.

March Update

Not much movement.
One spot this past month. Two placements our agency made, however, were 0-2 year olds. That is GOOD for us!
Slowly...but surely...

As I said to my sister yesterday, we are confident that the age of the child we ultimately are matched with, will be perfect for our family. We trust God with this process. We are rejoicing with the people we know who have recently been matched with a child (two close families we know)...and we are beyond excited to see ADOPTION happening.

Adoption. What a powerful word. And when you are called to do it, ya just gotta try SO STINKIN HARD to not get caught up in the longevity of the process, and exhaustion that comes with waiting.

Because we know that we know that we know that our son is out there and will be in our home with us sooner than later!

And we carry-on....
And we keep praying. And we keep loving the kids God has already entrusted to us...

Show me my brudder...

Ems and I are just hangin in the basement. Got some "dancing queen" goin in the background with Ellie and Ryan dancing some sweet sprinkler----lawn mower---moves.

She brings the globe over to me. Says "mom, show me my brudder." (Brother)
She puts one finger on Ethiopia and one on Ohio. She thinks.
"Mom, when you DO go dhere (there), it's a loooong loooong way. Will the car ride even be longer than Hilton Head?"
(Love that!)

I explain that I will be flying on a plane...giggling at her innocence. She then realizes I will be gone more than one day and opens her mouth wide: "oh no mom. You're gonna have to sleep dhere!!!!

And the food...what will you EAT?"

A short conversation like this with my 5 year old babe makes me smile and so so excited that she will be a big sister to yet another little dude. Her questions/understanding about adoption keep me pure and simple as we wait...and pursue.

Encouraged

It's just fun to hear stories about other families who have adopted, or are in the process like us. It's fun to know that having a family that doesn't all look alike isn't the MOST abnormal thing in the world. It's fun to see adopted kiddos become so acclimated to their families. It's fun to hear my girls, and even Griff, talk about Ethiopia, ask about their brother, and even remind me of this little guy out there somewhere.

Last night Ryan and I were heading out for a life group night. Ellie was upset about us leaving her behind, with a babysitter (which I found out hours later was because she had a major puke-fest brewing in her). I told her that although we NEED to go out sometimes, just mommy and daddy, there are no other people in the entire world I want to be with more than her, Emma, and Griff...and of course daddy. She said to me "uhhhhhh....and who elsssssse?" I said "ummmmm, Jesus?" :)

Ellie's response: "no mom, our brother in Ethiopia! We don't know him yet but you know that if you could pick one other person you'd want to be with all the time it would be HIM, right?"

Loved that.

So, even though these days of waiting are ohhhh so long and seemingly endless, we still get to enjoy the stories of friends and acquaintances walking in this with us. And we get to look forward to "the day" with our kids. They will never forget this time of waiting and preparation. The lessons we will learn...!!!!

"Do not be Discouraged"

We know when the title of an email from Lifeline, our adoption agency, begins that way, that a somewhat discouraging email is about to follow.

We did not move spots last month and remain #46, the same as last month. Yes, discouraging indeed. It's "funny," for lack of a better word, that we envisioned getting our referral sometime this spring. Now that we're approaching spring, we're feeling less hopeful about that. The reason our agency gave us, for the slow month of February was this:

"West Sands Adoptions received their renewed 3 year license to continue adoptions in Ethiopia!  In addition, many orphanages also went through the license renewal process – so that also impacted the amount of referrals given this month.  The courts were on a delay in February but they are open and processing cases again."

So....that's actually all good stuff! Adoptions are still moving... and healthy... and HAPPENING in Ethiopia!! The courts still have a good relationship with our main agency. And, even BETTER...we have two friends that received their referrals from Ethiopia last month. Neither live in Toledo or are using our agency, but they both found out who their son/daughter will be. It is unbelievable the joy and excitement Ryan and I feel for them. We can't wait for our turn, but we love to see families get to take steps closer in becoming whole and complete. 

Just Wanted Mom

Tonight was a realization for me, of what MOM is, to a child.

I came home from our life group around 8:00. Our sweet babysitter was busy with the kids upstairs. I heard Griffin in the monitor, crying--like real tears. He was, quite miserably, talking/fussing about something. This is not normal for my "please-put-me-to-bed-by-7:00, " and "I-run-and-jump-and-dance-all-day-so-I'm-ready-to-pass-out" handsome little dude.

As I was walking upstairs I heard Griffin mumble through his tears, from his bed:
"I just want mommy! I do! I dooooo! Mommy HERE pleeeeeeease!"

I couldn't get in his room quick enough.

I scooped that little/big-boy up in my arms and hugged him so tight. He embraced me and burrowed into my neck. Griffin said nothing. I said nothing. Didn't need to. He knew I was home and I was there. I soaked it up and smooched those cheeks (It was a "moment," okay?).

After a few minutes of snuggling my son, I laid him down and walked out of his room. He was quiet and comfortable and reassured. I was content and happy that I was able to fulfill the need he had for love, at that particular moment.

2 things that came to mind as I walked from Griffin's room, onto Ellie's room to tuck her in:

1) I won't always be able to make this kid happy, or reassure him or fulfill him like he might long for another person to do. In fact, I can't do it now. Man oh man this precious boy needs Jesus in His life. I just pray that my hugs and reassurance point my son to God his Father!

2)   I'm sad that there are so so so many orphans in America, and in countries all over the world, that either wouldn't consider crying out for their mom like that, OR don't even know HOW to. Or that they can.

I have another son. He is far away from this room right now, and he doesn't know I'm his mom. I can't help but have emotion when I think about this boy. I totally have a feeling that he's born already. But I don't know his name, what he looks like, or how old he is. My heart ached tonight as I thought that my other son is one of those kids out there that isn't crying out for Mom tonight. He's not saying "I just want mommy! I do! I doooooo! Mommy HERE pleeeeeeease!" Who knows if there is someone to scoop him up.

And truthfully, I can't help but wonder how long it will take this boy to look to Ryan or me for that kind of reassurance and affection. Praying he feels safe and comfortable here in this home. Attachment is a "token word" you hear in the adoption community. It matters a lot, as we want our adopted children to blend well and know WE are mom and dad, and how we love them oh so much.

Just some thoughts on my mind. Griff just wanted Mom tonight. I loved that I could walk in and be there.
I long for the day to be able to do that for his little brother.

Fundraising Update

We are blessed. We are so thankful to so many of you guys, who have supported us and continue to do so. Thank you for being a part of bringing our son home. When talking at church yesterday with a friend, she mentioned how crazy fast our process seems to be going. Until she said that, I didn't realize that we really have indeed been sailing on such smooth waters. We feel God in this. And we continue to trust him, as we know that we are far from done as we still don't even know who this little boy is. The total cost of our Ethiopian adoption is just under $30,000. In addition to the $10,000 of our own money we have put into this process, we have currently raised $18,115!!! Thank you, friends and family, for your support. Thanks for being our cheerleaders and biggest fans. Thanks for the words you have said to us and prayers you have spoken over us. We know we are loved and we are grateful.

February news

Maybe some good news and maybe some bad news...?

We received our email update and were told that we moved 3 spots last month. We went from #50 to #47. We were obviously hoping for more of a jump, but as we are always told, "ANY MOVEMENT/progress is a good thing."

The good news is this...
There were actually 4 referrals given out in January (even though we only moved 3) and ALL of them were in the 0-2 category!!!
That is great for us because it gets us closer to the top of OUR specific category. You see, even though we are now #47, we will get our referral when no one ahead of us is requesting the exact same child as the Snow Family: 0-2 boy.
So we could be any number on the list and all of a sudden get our picture!!! It all depends on who is requesting who, ahead of us.

So folks, THIS IS WHY adoption is a long waiting game. THIS IS WHY it's impossible to answer the question "when will you get your baby?" And THIS IS WHY we have to literally make huge efforts to focus on the fact that we're called to this, even when it's not convenient or quick or easy or aligning with our plans for our family.

How can you support us in this?
Please pray alongside us. This is how we are praying right now:

*Assuming this babe is already born, pray that he will quickly and safely be put in an orphanage
*pray that by God's grace there would be a caregiver at his orphanage that gives him love and attention
*pray for patience for Ryan and I. We have patient hearts now but soon it will get tough, really tough.
*pray for this coming Feb.9 as we are having our adoption dessert/fundraising night. Praying for provision and just the BEST celebration ever. :)


Excited for the day this wall has a frame with a little African face in it.

Ethiopia

We are learning a lot about this country and are humbled by the truth of its depravity. But, we are also learning about the beauty of the people and the country.

We are learning a lot about adoption...and beginning to feel how long this process can REALLY feel. We should be getting our next update tomorrow to find out what number we are on the list. Slightly nervous but hopeful we will see great movement.

Thankful for our good friends that have gone before us in this process.
Praying that there will be other good friends that follow behind us in this process.

Trusting God for His provision. OH how he provides!

Thankful for all of our incredible family and friends who have supported us financially...totally humbled and blessed by you.

One year...

This past Sunday was our one year mark.
Our public decision was announced and our application was printed on January 5...application mailed to our agency on January 20th.

A blurb from a previous blog entry on that day back in January 2012.

We are just in the very early stages of pursuing an adoption for a little boy...in Ethiopia. We are incredibly excited, a bit nervous, confident of our calling to this, and pumped that we are diving in. We have talked and prayed about this for over a year, and have finally decided to begin our journey. Our girls are thrilled, to say the least. After we told Ellie and Emma that it was really going to happen (they have been a part of praying with us in this for quite some time) they both went to school the next day and told their classes that they were going to have a brother from Africa soon! Ha! I love their joy and excitement. Although it's not going to be soon...

Lifeline adoption agency says the average process takes 12-15 months once the dossier is submitted, but Ryan and I are gearing ourselves up for 2- 2.5 total years. :) We would love for it to happen sooner, and God willing it will!

In the meantime, we begin the paperwork trail, and it's oh so daunting. I don't think I can read through the Ethiopian manual too many times or I might start having anxiety attacks. An adoption or a pregnancy--BOTH require emotions and our physical bodies. Neither is better or worse, just different. So we are beginning a very different journey to our son. I know it will seem more real and more exciting and more glorious, once we've seen his face on a picture. In the meantime, this is how we're praying:

*for this boy, who may not even be born yet, to be carried in his mother safely and with as much dignity and care as possible.

*for our finances...I really have no idea how the money will come in, or if the money will come in. I don't know what God is going to do with this, but we are trusting Him and beginning to take strides to make some changes in our spending.

*for the city of Sylvania, OH. That our community would fall in love with the TRUTH that more of us can change the life of an orphan. We would love to see this spread, we would love to see more trans-racial families in our community!!

Now...
One year later we are done with the trail of paperwork.
We have continually prayed those prayers.
We have been blessed beyond belief with support from family and friends.
We have just BEGUN to learn the lesson of what it means to wait on God.
We have had tons of fears/worries as well as blessed conversations and encouragement from people who have walked this path. We are ready to dive in.
And... we are SO many steps closer to receiving that email with the picture of our son's face.
Pumped.



 

FIRST

So, we always look forward to the first of the month, because that's when our agency sends us an update on our placement on the list. I checked my email WAY too many times on New Year's Day. But it came. :)

We moved up 5 more spots... and 9 total referrals were given the month of December!! We continuously feel blessed and satisfied as we see MOVEMENT each month. Having said that, each month that passes, we get more anxious to find out who this little guy will be. Ryan and I are still truly at peace in this waiting time, as we know it's valuable and worth a lot. So many other friends/bloggers/writers out there who have adopted say that we won't really understand all of the lessons we will have learned throughout this waiting time, until it's over. I know the day will come when we have a face and a name and an age. THAT will be the day I want to buy a plane ticket and go to get him, without the ability to just go and do that. We have a lot to learn in this.

Please pray for Ryan and I that God would slowly be lifting the veil to what He has for us in this season. 

We hear super encouraging stories of well acclimated children in American homes, and we hear stories that aren't quite so uplifting. There are both scenarios out there. What we are specifically praying NOW is that God will select--hand pick--this guy to be a perfect fit for our family. His personality, his stubbornness (we all tend to have a bit of that), his love for good food, his character...right on down to his sleep schedule...that we would just fit. We are up for whatever the lesson is or the challenge ahead of us. But we pray for just a perfect fit. 

Thanks for walking this road with us. :)