We're on a roll...

Today's good news... we got our USCIS fingerprints done!! Yay :)  What does this mean?  Well after getting fingerprinted this morning, they get digitally submitted to the USCIS office.  Then they will send us a letter saying we are pre-approved to immigrate our son or daughter.  Once we have that letter in hand, we'll be very close to being on the official wait list.  Here is a picture of Kaleb's meal on the go today as we drove to get my fingerprinting done... he's such a good sport!

Mac n' Cheese, no shoes and his blanket.  Life is good!

Another Baby Step...

Our good news of the week...we received our appointment letter for completing our USCIS biometrics fingerprinting :)  

Sounds scary or weird- it really isn't.  Its the same as any other fingerprints this one however, is filed with our application for approval to immigrate our future son or daughter.  What this means is that I need to really wrap up our dossier documents because we're getting closer to having our name on the waiting list.  If you'd like to pray for us... here are the next steps to uphold in prayer for our adoption process.
- Fingerprinting (will happen this coming week)
- Finish gathering our documents for the dossier
- Receive USCIS approval letter
- Drive to Pierre to get everything state sealed
- Send it all to Ethiopia!!!! :)

And, the other good news of the week... is that we've had seven individuals/families partner with us by sponsoring a puzzle piece for our adoption fundraiser.  THANK YOU!!!  We truly and greatly appreciate it.  We've also enjoyed the fun reasons and comments left by those individuals.  This is what the puzzle looks like right now...

Beautifully said...

It is such lovely, precious and encouraging gift when there are others who are walking 

or have walked in shoes that if nothing else look a lot like yours.  

People who have had days similar to yours.  

Who have experienced similar joys. 

 And frustrations.  And blessings. 

People who get it.  

Because if you've never been through it, most people don't see all that is in it.  

Even though, in the end, most the time it ends up being a beautiful story.    

This adoptive mom of two little Ethiopian kiddos has walked through a lot.  Although our stories aren't exactly the same, our stories end very much alike.  Her husband's words beautifully capture what the gift of adoption is all about....

Big plans and big hurt

Big dreams and big void

What God meant we did not see

Something much bigger than you and me

Mountains shaken and hills removed

Yet love and peace remain

A flicker of hope appears in the dark

In the sound of God’s whisper echos a spark

A spark of life, a spark of love

Born in our hearts from God’s plan above

The little one waits for a home far away

The two parents hope and pray for the way

Now little giggles and little bears

One little bed and countless kisses

One blessed son we have from the Giver

Now a son and a husband and wife

All knit together in one eternal life. 

Based on John Caspers' from Traded Dreams

Got it!

Praise the Lord!  

We finally got our home study back... I am thrilled!  It feels like April was forever ago.  Because, well we've fit a lot in since then all the while waiting to get our hands on that completed home study.  Imagine needing to submit an application to 'start trying' in order to add another little one to your family.  And, it takes two months to get the 'ok'.  

 This morning while sitting by our kiddie pool with friends, Renee called to let me know.  She is amazing and we thoroughly appreciate all she does for our family.  

So, what's next?  Because I have to sign the home study- Wes will bring it home tonight, we'll pack it up and send all our documents for our I-600 for our immigration approval.  Meanwhile, I'll start gathering up our dossier documents.  Fancy word, but basically just a list of documents to gather up.  Not difficult and it'll be nice to actually 'do' something for our adoption.  Praise the Lord- we're on to the next step. 

THANK YOU for praying!  You have no idea how much that means to us.  Thank you for asking 'is it here yet' and talking to God on our behalf.  Thank you for coming along side and being a part of our family journey.  

God Bless... we're so thankful today.  

Just trying to pack the car...

This past weekend, I met a fellow adoptive mom.  Her little one is in Haiti and she is in Colorado.  As we were introducing ourselves, I said 'adoption is such a journey'.  And, we both smiled and understood each other in a way only those who have been there done that can understand. 

In everyday life, oftentimes I hear myself saying that getting the car packed is half the battle in getting where you need to be.  You make the list, run around finding everything and then cram it all in. And, then there is inevitably that moment where you stand by the car and say "so, where's ........"  (filling in the blank with the name of the habitual last person ready in your family).  

That is what our adoption journey feel like right now.  We started this process back in April.  We made our list of things we needed, gathered up all our stuff, crammed it into a folder and got ready for the journey.  But, right now we're just standing here saying "so, where's the home study".  It's done.  It's written.  But, it is waiting for the last hoop-jumping approval steps.  And, like most people waiting in the car for the ever tardy family member... you just want to honk the horn and eventually yell through the back door "Let's GO!".  

However, that tempting response typically ends up with everything a little grumpy and less than enthusiastic to be spending something like the next three years of your life together.  So- we're asking you to join us in a better response.  Please pray that our home study gets its final approval soon.  Like this week would be great.  This afternoon of course would be even better but, we'll take as soon as possible.  Pray for our home study to be ready as soon as possible.  Thanks so much!!  

Pizza in the Park

Last night, we enjoyed pizza in the park with some of my college friends.  It was great seeing them again and to meet their two little boys.  Its hard to believe we hadn't seen each other since Wes & my wedding.  That was pre-kids for all of us and such a different time ago.  They were in town on vacation so we met up for a fun evening hanging out together.  

 Running, running, running.  

 Tree swords = boy joy.  

(No trees were harmed in the making of this fun.  

Unfortunately, someone else had already dismembered these awesome tree limbs)

 Get them!!!  Attack, attack! 

 An open hydrant to turn on at will...what more could a pair of boys ask for? 

 The closest we got to a group shot- was a fun night for sure!  

Branding time...

Back where I come from, its a 'season' not just a thing we still do.  Branding has stood the test of time- an old timer necessity that is just as important today as it was back then.  And, its a lot of fun getting together with friends, family and neighbors too!  

 Gathering the cows... 

 The crew all ready to get to work- 

the smell of branding never gets old for this displaced rancher's daughter.  

After the big work was done and we'd had an awesome lunch- there were more chores to day.  The baby calves needed an afternoon snack.  Kaleb thought it was hilarious that 'moos' drink from a baby bottle.  Oh, how I wish we could get a transcript of his brain! 

Off to the barn to feed the calves.... 

 

 Then to the other corral to let the horses out and make sure everything was taken care of.  

 Talking with Grandpa "Got lots to do".  :) 

What a fun day!