3 more weeks!

We have our second court date just 3 weeks from today! Yaaay!



There was a quote in my daughter's school newsletter yesterday from a very wise person named anonymous. Anonymous said, "The really happy person is one who can enjoy the scenery on a detour." That really made me think about how I've handled the long wait during this adoption journey.



These last two months have been quite a detour for us. We had hoped to breeze through our court date on June 10th and head off to Ethiopia soon after. Obviously, this didn't happen. Nearly four months later, we're still waiting to bring our precious daughters home. Now anonymous has me asking myself..."How have I handled this detour?" Not so good at times. I've experienced moments of frustration, self-pity, anger, frustration...oh yeah, I already said that.



But, I have to say I've also had some really great times and really productive times during this wait.

--We finished up one sports season (baseball) and moved into the next (football).

--We've gotten settled into a new year in school.

--I started a regular exercise program with my sister-in-law and have actually lost a few pounds.

--I've met new people and their children from Ethiopia.

--As a family, we've raised lots of money to donate to the orphanages in Ethiopia.

--We've raised awareness in our community about the dire needs in Ethiopia.

--We've raised awareness about children in Ethiopia who need forever homes.

--We started the process of bringing a wonderful man to our country to pursue an education so that he will be able to return to Ethiopia someday to support his family and help his people. We hope this will lead to an education program that will give the hope of an education to those who wouldn't have the opportunity otherwise.



We have been busy. We have made the most of our detour. But, I can't wait to get back on the main road to our girls and bring them home soon...forever!

Inspired

My family and I had the honor of attending a local Ethiopian new years celebration on Saturday. It was so exciting to meet the different families in our area who have already gone through the adoption process and have their children. We were able to meet the little triplets adopted from Ethiopia. They are soooo cute!
The food was absolutely delicious! I enjoyed it so much that I was inspired to make some last night for my family. I tried my hand at doro wat(chicken) and injera. It was a lot of fun and my kids actually liked it! (Except Derek, who didn't enjoy the food we ate at the Ethiopian restaurant in OK City and so has sworn off of it for the rest of his life!)

I can't wait to get to Ethiopia and have the 'real thing'! Only 29 days until our court date!!!

Blog Re-Union

I'm so excited about next year's blog re-union. I appreciate the wonderful people organizing this exciting event.

I've said it before and will probably say it again...I am NOT a writer. This is definitely a gift that God decided not to give me. (My daughter, however, is a journalism major...ironic, huh?!) But, anyway, this blog has been a wonderful way to journal about our adoption process and to meet other families experiencing the same emotional ups and downs. The support I feel just by reading about other's experiences has been invaluable! I have enjoyed watching so many families with so many different life stories travel to the wonderful land of Ethiopia and bring home their beautiful children. I look forward to being able to meet many of you face to face.