In God We Trust

Change is hard. It is scary. We do not like leaving what we are familiar with for something unknown.

This week the Ethiopian government implemented changes in their adoption policy that effect us and our adoption. They have added another step in the approval process to ensure that all adoptions are done in an ethical and legal manner. It is a part of the growing pains of a country whose number of international adoptions have multiplied over the past few years.

When a family decides to move forward with a referral, their paperwork and the child's are submitted to the Ministry of Women's Affaris (MOWA) and then had previously been sent on to the courts. Now, after MOWA has given their approval, the documents are forwarded to the Central Authority's Civil and Social Affairs office where they are again checked and given an approval. From the Central Authority they are sent on to the courts. If your paperwork has not made it through either one of those steps by your assigned court date, your court date is rescheduled. This rescheduling is currently over a month out.

Our agency is not sure how this added step will effect our timelines, because the new policies just went into effect. They are sure that it will add additional time onto our 3-5 month wait.

We are glad God led us to a country that cares for its children enough to ensure the legality of their adoptions, but we are saddened that this will add more time to our wait for our little girl.

We completely trust that God's hand is in this process and pray that His will be done. We choose to be thankful that our little girl is in such good hands at Hannah's Hope while we wait for her.

One outcome of this is that our agency is changing their policy about court dates and will now be informing us of our date when it is scheduled. I think that all the information we get is helpful as we wait.

I will continue to pray for all of us involved in these adoptions as we adjust to these changes. May we continue to pray for God's will to be done and may we continue to trust in God and His plan. These children are not ours, but His.

Pumpkin Patch

I know another pumpkin patch post, but here are my two cuties

and me ready to head out the door and meet our homeschooling group.

Bright, cheery rubber boots. I wear mine every chance I get!

Not so sure about the tractor ride out to the pumpkin patch

I am still not happy, but the Bean gave me a smile. Although all

we get right now are the fake, cheesy kind.

Slide fun

How did the goats get way up there mom?



Tickling our hands

Pumpkins, pumpkins everywhere

Almost Wordless, Almost Wednesday Post

Only a 2yo can go from this

to this in less than 30 seconds!

I have a problem

Isn't the first step to dealing with a problem admitting you have one? Well I have one. I am addicted to changing my blog! There are so many gorgeous backgrounds I can't commit to just one!

Zoo day

Sunday was a beautiful cold, but sunny day here in Washington. We played hookey from church and headed to the zoo. We have a combined membership to the zoo and NW Trek. Any of you who live here and haven't been to NW Trek need to go. It is our favorite spot.

Northwest Trek Wildlife Park is a treasure for wildlife enthusiasts. The signature tram tour through the 435-acre free-roaming area offers the opportunity to spot different species of animals as they wander through forests, wetlands and meadows. In the core walking-tour area, visitors can get a peek at native wild canines and cats as well as forest and wetland critters. The 723-acre park has a little bit of everything: lakes, trails, meadows and plenty of animals. Located near Mount Rainier in Washington state just south of Seattle and Tacoma, Northwest Trek is home to more than 200 North American animals representing more than 30 species.

Anyway, we didn't go there today, but we did have a nice day at the zoo.

Bean & Bug on the Polar Bear carving at the entrance to the zoo.

What 2yo boy is not fascinated with sharks? His hands and face were pressed to the glass for a good 20 minutes.

Mom, I want to be a gymnast like the gibbon! The Bean is all into gymnastics after watching the Summer Olympics with her mommy.

The walruses were the favorite of the day. They kept swimming right up to the glass and rubbing against it. The male was huge. At first, Bug was a little scared. By the end, we had to physically remove him from the viewing area or he would still be there right now

What a great day! We are really trying to savor being a family of four, because before long we will be 5!

Momma's favorite part of the day was a trip to REI after the zoo. I got a new backpack that will double as a diaper bag. The one I have now just won't cut it for three kiddos!

Care package sent

I talked to Christy and AGCI received our care package for our daughter today. It was just in time for the box that left this afternoon for Ethiopia! It is nice to know our little one will have a little piece of us with her soon. She has melted our hearts and we can't wait to travel to pick-up DORA (ha,ha-see this post!)

I was going to post a picture, but they all have our photo album in them. The first page of our album is a picture of the four of us holding a 8X10 of our little one, so I can't post it!

Today was not my finest day

I have been a mom for 5 years now. I have only been a mom to a boy for 2 years 7 months 7 days and 23 hours. That is long enough to know better than to leave your son alone with markers...even if they are washable. Maybe he will be a tattoo artist when he grows up.

The worst part of it is that there is no way he did the part around his ear or on his back. His partner in crime is also in a timeout right now. Serves me right to think I could get some laundry done without supervising the little monster : ) Between this and my error on the list serv, today was not my finest day!