Fabulous Fingerprinting Friday

My life feels like an amusement park ride.  Three months ago we began the "click, click, click" sounds that a roller coaster makes as it's about to take off.  When you hear those clicks at the amusement park, you are full of anticipation about what the ride will be like and a little scared or excited about what lies ahead.  For our adoption paperwork process, everything has been going so smoothly...Better than you would expect!   Yesterday was one of those big loopty loop parts of the roller coaster where my stomach came up to my head and I thought our journey was going to have a 3 month delay due to the CIS fingerprinting appointment conflict.  But then it quickly changed for the better...all within two hours time!

As I mentioned yesterday, we were so blessed to get our new Biometrics appointment in the mail for a time earlier than what we originally had.  Today, Blake happened to have the day off work so we took our fingerprinting paper and headed down to the Biometrics office in Dallas.  We had heard of others doing this and we were kind of nervous doing this since it wasn't our assigned day and didn't want to come across as presumptuous.  But, we figured we could try and see what happened.  We prayed before we went in that they would allow us to go ahead and do this as it would be so much easier with Blake's work schedule. That way, he wouldn't have to cancel patients who had already scheduled with him on the assigned appointment day two weeks from now.

When we went in, there was a guard at a desk. That's the person you check in with.  We asked if they would be willing to fingerprint us today since Blake had the day off.  We were very polite and not pushy at all. The guard seemed a little hesitant at first but went and asked the boss.  After a few minutes, she came back out.  She said that since they weren't busy, they would go ahead and do it but if we ever needed to do this again, please follow the directions on the paper for the assigned day and time.  Honestly, it was not that busy at all in there.  (Had they said no, we would have just nicely left and come back on our assigned day.)    They move people in and out of there pretty quickly.  There were about 5 people working at stations doing fingerprints.  I did not feel that we were inconveniencing anyone at all.  It took about 5 minutes to get the fingerprints and we were out of there!  Before walking out, I thanked the guard once again for allowing us to do it today.  It was so nice of them to allow us to do this today. 

Now all we have to wait on is CIS approval and then we can send the approval letter to Kate at KBS Dossiers.  Our final piece of paperwork before having our Dossier complete.  What a blessing to have this last item almost done.  We know that God has the perfect child picked out for us and his timing reflects that child and when God wants that child to come into our lives.  

What a fabulous fingerprinting Friday it was today!  Enjoy your Memorial Day weekend!

My Little CIS Miracle

Today, I was beyond frustration.  If you read my blog, you'll know that last week, we AMAZINGLY quickly received our CIS Biometrics appointment only a few days after Gladney sent CIS our home study.  It was a big praise!   Unfortunately the date they assigned us, June 19th, was one of two weeks we will be out of state this year. Big bummer.

So, I overnighted the appointment letter back to CIS along with a letter saying when we would be out of town.  I kept checking the mail and no CIS appointment letter. (Ok, maybe I was being impatient because I figured if the first letter came in two days, the next one should too!)  Today I was told by CIS that it could be August before I get a new appointment and that they don't send out your new appointment letter until AFTER your first appointment time has come and gone. What?  I was so upset I could have cried.  The thought of delaying our adoption three or more months waiting for another appointment was more than I could fathom.  I kept thinking...there are 147 million orphans out there and they are putting us through this! I can't understand why CIS needs fingerprints when we've already had fingerprints approved by the FBI!

But, God, as always, showed me he is in charge!  I went out to get the mail today and what do you know!  Two letters from CIS with new appointments for.....drum roll....WEDNESDAY, June 9th!!!  I was stunned and immediately felt ashamed that I wasn't trusting God.  Not only did we get a new appointment quickly, it is a date that is before the original date.  I figured we would get a date much later now. 

Thank you God for proving me wrong and teaching me in a gentle way that you are always in control. 

Gladney Center for Humanitarian Aid

We are proud to be with the Gladney Center for Adoption. They are an amazing organization helping children worldwide.  Watch this video they recently released about what's going on in the world of orphans and how they are helping. 

Africa Everywhere

Do you think Africa is on my mind? Yesterday while watering my plants and moving around a few flower pots, I noticed the funniest thing; The shape of Africa in the dirt under the pot I had just moved. Ok, maybe you'll see the picture and not see the shape I'm seeing.  It reminded me of those news stories where someone thinks they see the shape of Jesus appear on something at their house and it causes a phenomenon and people come from around the world to see the image.  Or think of "Charlotte's Web."  Here's an idea! I could sell tickets for people to come see the shape! But oops, I wasn't thinking and sprayed it off while cleaning the patio.  Oh well.   But for now, I think I just have Africa on the brain! I thought it was pretty funny and I had to take a picture of it!  Just another reminder that Africa is close to our hearts!

Biometrics Appointment

Well, the good news is that today, CIS sent us our biometrics appointment. That was FAST! The bad news (well in a way) is that we will be in Hawaii! So, before sending in the form to reschedule we will try to just show up and see if they take walk-ins. I called USCIS and they told me that the local field offices don't have phones for people to call them. So, wish us luck! I'll let everyone know what happens!

Just Waiting for CIS

Yesterday we had a phone conference with Natalie at Gladney. She is now our caseworker from here on out.  She is a great person to talk to and filled us in on what to expect the rest of our journey to Africa. We spent about 45 minutes going over all the details for the rest of our journey.

So what comes next?  Our Home Study is now in the hands of the United States Immigration (CIS).  They received our Home Study this past Tuesday, May 18th.  Any day now, we will receive a letter in the mail directing us when and where to show up for our biometrics appointment, otherwise known as getting fingerprinted AGAIN.  Unfortunately you don't get to pick the day or time, it is assigned to you.  I'm praying that they don't assign our day in the middle of a big family trip we have planned to Hawaii. If so, I will have to reschedule the biometrics appointment.

Once we have the fingerprints done and are approved by CIS, we send that approval document off to the person preparing our Dossier.  Once she is ready, she will send our final Dossier off to Washington D.C.  A courier then hand delivers our Dossier to the Department of State where they will authenticate it and send it off to Ethiopia.  At the point that the Dossier is on its way to Washington D.C, we are placed on Gladney's official Waiting List.  That was exciting to hear yesterday. I didn't know at what point we were placed on this list.   To get to this point could take a few more months.  It all depends on when our biometric appointment is and how long it takes for CIS to give us approval. 

After talking with Natalie on the phone yesterday, things are starting to seem surreal. I can't believe we are now this close to getting on the waiting list.  It's very exciting.  We have requested a boy that is either 4 or 5 years old and we are open to adopting a sibling (boy) that is either 4 or 5 years old.   For the age we are requesting, the average wait time is around 4-5 months.  It could be less, could be more.  You never can predict and once again, it's all in the hands of God.  He has a child/children picked out and everything will fall into place in God's perfect timing.

Of course I never like hearing some of the things that our agency has to tell us so there are no surprises. Such as, when you appear in court, if the child has any relatives living, they are given one last chance to decide to keep the child.  It is rare for this to happen and I will have to constantly remind myself that I have to trust in God.   God has always provided for us in so many ways and I have faith that he will continue to provide.

Please be in prayer for us as we are getting close to entering the next phase of our journey.  You know as soon as we get our letter in the mail from CIS, I will post about it on my blog! 

Announcing...Gladney Approval!

We are excited to announce that we are now officially "Gladney Approved!"  I received an email today at 4:18 PM.  It feels like our family had the big seal of approval stamped on us today. It took about one month from our social worker turning in our Home Study to getting final Gladney approval.  I have to hand it to Judy at Gladney for putting up with my weekly emails "checking in" to see where things stood.  I had to learn to develop a lot of patience over the last month and found myself digging through the Bible looking for verses to remind me that without faith, it is impossible to please God.

What's the next step?  Gladney has sent our Home Study document off to CIS (United States Citizenship and Immigration Services) and to Kate Sawyer, the person preparing our Dossier.  Once CIS approves our home study, they will tell us where to go get fingerprinted (yes, again).  Once everything is cleared through CIS, we are ready to complete our Dossier and begin the referral phase of the adoption.   Our Dossier is actually completed as far as I know and soon will be sent to the US Department of State for final authentication. They will then send it off to the Ethiopian Consulate/Embassy for authentication and then the Dossier will be translated into the Ethiopian language of Amharic.  At what point we are placed on an actual "Waiting List" for a child, I do not know.  Gladney is sending us an approval packet in the mail that has all that information in it.

It feels great to get to this point.  In the game of "Hurry Up and Wait" we completed a big step by getting approval today!  Please continue to pray for everything to go smoothly.  What a blessing it is to have friends and family lifting us up in prayer! Thank you.

Are My Girls Excited About Adoption and B.O.B?

Many people who inquire about our adoption process want to know what our girls think about it.  Well, I thought I'd share something that I found in Molly's new journal that she got tonight.  After she fell asleep, I took a picture with my phone. I know she wouldn't mind if I shared this with you.  This will answer the question about whether or not the girls are excited. 

 

As you can see, Molly calls her future brother "Bob." Emily does too.  That is a name that Blake came up with in the meantime since he was tired of us referring to a son we hope to adopt as "the boy" or "the kid." You'll hear one of the girls ask where something is in the house and one of us will say, "it's in Bob's room."  At first it really annoyed me, using the name Bob.  But as you can see it has caught on and I have secretly made it into an acronym.   To me, Bob stands for:  Bring Our Boy!

Soccer Season

Well, recreational soccer season is almost over.  Both girls once again played for our city youth league.  Blake was an assistant coach on Emily's team, the Jets.  He volunteers as one of the team doctors for Dallas' major league soccer team, FC Dallas.  So, helping coach is fun for Blake. Emily is #29 in the photo below. 

Here is Molly from this past weekend's game (in the black with pink headband).  Her team is the Shooting Stars!

A Prayer for Patience

We are still waiting for Gladney Approval before our homestudy can be submitted to CIS.  So, to pass the time, I was looking online for some humor regarding the topic of patience; something I'm learning to have a lot of!   I thought this one was pretty funny!

A Prayer for Patience
Dear God please grant me patience,
And I need it RIGHT NOW!

And for a comic about waiting...

The Blessings of Moms and Motherhood

It's Mother's Day in the United States.  (It's not Mother's Day in Ethiopia. Read more about the celebration in Ethiopia at the end of this post.)  I am so blessed to have grown up with a loving mother who taught me HOW to be a mother.  In the photo above, you see several generations of mothers.  My great-grandmother, my grandmother and my mother. Then there's me.  Little did those mothers know back in 1972 that one day, I would have children of my own. More about that later.  I had fun looking back at some old photos of me, my mom and my sister. We had great times and still do today!

Top Funny Things I did as kids to Make My Mom Stay on her Toes!

1.  Once I knocked down a mannequin at a department store.
2.  Once our neighbor sent me home with a pet cat and my mom sent me right back.
3.  My mom used to drive an hour to Denver to buy me candy to sell at school.  That was until the Principal said it was causing too much of a distraction.
4.  I once yelled out in church, "Is that God?" when seeing the pastor in his robe.
5.  On my birthday my parents took my friends and I to a symphony and I got to help direct with the conductor... but I was too busy picking at my rear end and getting laughs.
6.  Once my older cousins taught me how to make prank phone calls and cuss and I innocently named my stuffed animal a bad word.  That ended quick! Never cussed again!
7.  My sister and I were selling lemonade and a scary looking guy stopped to innocently buy some and we started running home with the table and all!

Now I'm the Mother
I have been blessed to be a mother for almost 13 years now. I have two wonderful daughters and can't imagine life without them.  They love to be funny as you see in the photo below.   Now I am anxiously waiting to become a mother to a child from Ethiopia.  We pray daily for our two girls and the boy in Ethiopia that will become our son one day.

The great thing about being a mom is seeing our mothers interact with our kids.  My kids have wonderful grandmothers.  They are definitely spoiled by their grandmothers and it's so special for them to have such close relationships with their grandmothers. 

Both my husband and I are blessed with such great mothers and we love them lots!

Debi

Blake

Mother's Day in Ethiopia

In the United States, we celebrate Mother's Day on the second Sunday in May.  But in Ethiopia, Mother's Day is not celebrated this same weekend. I thought I would do a little research.

 

Mother's Day in Ethiopia occurs in mid-fall when the rainy season ends. Called “Antrosht,” Ethiopians celebrate by making their way home when the weather clears for a large family meal and a three day long celebration. For the feast the children bring ingredients for a traditional hash recipe. The ingredients are divided along gender lines, with girls bringing butter, cheese, vegetables and spices while the boys bring a bull or lamb. The mother prepares the hash and hands it out to the family. After the meal a celebration takes place. The mothers and daughters ritually anoint themselves with butter on their faces and chests. They dance while the men sing songs in honor of family and heroes. This cycle of feasting and celebration lasts two or three days.  From Mother's Day Central

My Cinco de Mayo Baby is 9 Years Old

Today, my baby turns 9 years old.  I thought it would be fun to look back at some photos of Molly so you can learn more about this little girl that will soon be a BIG sister when we welcome home a child from Ethiopia. She's already a great LITTLE sister to Emily, soon to be 13!  I have posted a few photos that show Molly over the past 9 years. I will post my favorite photo at the very end.

 

 I came across some funny pictures.  The past several years, we have been Baylor season football ticket holders and I found a few pictures of Molly from the games. Do you notice a pattern here?

My favorite photo!

One reason this is my favorite photo is that in one of my sonogram pictures, it shows Molly sucking her thumb in the womb.  How amazing is it that they captured that inside of me and she came out being a thumb sucker.  I think it's so adorable but luckily in 2009, she stopped the thumb sucking habit.  But her blanket is still her most prized possession!  (The last picture shows how loved blankie is)

Happy 9th Birthday Molly!  We love you to pieces!

Birthday Fun Cake Boss Style

My youngest daughter Molly is growing up fast.  On Wednesday she turns 9 years old. It's hard to believe these first 9 years have gone by so fast.  Today was her birthday party.  Jessica, our friend from church owns a cake business called JessiCakes and she showed the kids how to decorate using fondant. How brave am I to have 15 kids each decorate their own mini cake.  The fun part was that Jessica decorated Molly's cake in front of the kids so they could see how it was done.

We had 13 girls and then my two nephews Michal and Will.  Here is a boy for you.  I look over and see Will sitting on top of my counter, bare foot! (See his cake next to him?  He sat up there and decorated it) I love that boy and his brother! They were good sports to put up with 13 girls!  I think they used more fondant than any of the girls!  

I can't believe how fast these first 9 years have gone by.  My baby is growing up but she is still my little girl! When I was taking pictures she said she wanted her stuffed dog "Sam" in her picture.  That's my girl, the stuffed animal hoarder!  On Wednesday, her actual birthday, I'll post some of my favorite "Molly" pictures from over the years.