WE GOT OUR REFERRAL!!!!

We received our referral today for a gorgeous 12 month old baby boy!!

A First Encounter With Our Son from Peter Kidd on Vimeo.

We are on DECK!!!

We got our "on deck" e-mail on Tuesday afternoon! This means that we are most likely in the next batch of referrals and we are very close to getting our baby boy's picture and bio!! I just can't wait to see his little face and what it looks like. Will he be 3 months old, or 9 months old? Is there any info. on his biological parents, or none.....so many questions, so many emotions. It is so wonderful going through it for the second time as I know so much better what to expect....mostly from my emotions. I do not do well when I am caught off guard with a wave of emotion. The waves come quick and furious sometimes with adoption. Well, lots of the time. I know to expect the unexpected, and even that helps.

We have a place lined up for us to live at while there. We will be staying at the Ethiopia Guest home for the several months we will be living there. So busy planning, and getting ready.

The above picture is from a walk I took with the kids on Mother's Day. I just wanted to be with them and enjoy. I have to admit I had a pang of sadness knowing that my 4th child was not with me, but I know he is meant to be in Ethiopia right now and God's got him under his wing of warmth and love and protection until He sees it is time for us to go. Next year the picture will be 2 vanilla babies and 2 chocolate babies.......oh what a beautiful sight!!!! I never would have imagined my family would look like this when I was younger, and now I can't imagine it looking any other way. Isn't this supposed to be the norm? :)

New Web Site

Wow, has it really been that long since I have been here? Just in case there is anyone who still visits here, and just in case you had not heard of our new web site.....thought I would post it:

www.adoptionfathers.com

We are really no longer just chronicling our personal story, but are sharing many families stories on this new site. It was created to fill a void in the adoption community as far as support and a place for dads to have a voice. Us moms have had this blogging thing down for some time now, thank GOD for all of you. Blogs got me through our first adoption, and now reaching out and giving to others is getting me through this next adoption. Being able to share and give and potentially help someone (especially the dads out there who typically lag behind their wives in wanting to adopt) is so wonderful.


Love to all!

Andrea
I hope you will join us over there, and I will still update here as we get our referral for our soon-to-be baby boy!!

Amazing story!

This is the story of a girl Pete met while on his trip. He spoke about her in one of his blog posts. She was sitting to the side in her wheelchair until they noticed she did not have a turn with the parachute. Pete said the smile on her face was incredible. As they left, he noticed she was crying, he asked an interpreter what was wrong. Pete was told she was crying tears of joy for the happiness and laughter she experienced that day. Here is her story, I pray it moves you as it moves me. Please join us in supporting children like this!

Rabia Sayid Story from Children's HopeChest on Vimeo.

I am back in the blogging world!

Andrea posting here: Pete and I have our blogs set up together, so at the bottom it says he is posting this, but it is me. : )

Wow, it has been months since my last post! If there is still anyone reading this or following along...... thanks.

Things have been wonderful, crazy, busy, and full of God's blessings. Also, a little 2 year old who has been giving me a run for my money! Can I get a shout out from anyone else going through the terrible two's from a firey, spunky, and strong-willed little Ethiopian prince or princess.......whew! I thank God for her vigor and strength as it is a blessing and she is a survivor, but my goodness it has been a little rough. :)

Here is a brief update on our ongoing's and what God is doing lately in our lives:

• We are waiting for our I-171 so we can submit our dossier for a baby boy! Yeah....so excited and also feeling so much more prepared this time around. Then....as soon as those words come out, I realize that one can never really be fully prepared for international adoption and what may come your way. At least I know how to better expect the unexpected. :)
• We have been asking God to lead us to a bigger way to help and support the children in need in Ethiopia, and if you have been following Pete's blog, you have seen that he just got back from a Vision trip with Children's Hopechest, and we are sooooooo blessed to have found LOOK DEVELOPMENT and to be beginning the journey to finding sponsors for these children there. http://afatherseyes.blogspot.com/
• LOOK DEVELOPMENT is located in Nazret and we have a need to find sponsors for 100 children to start. So many wonderful things to share about this organization and how God has led us there, we will be sharing more on that soon!
• Enjoying our 3 kiddos and enjoying the Christmas spirit. What a pleasure.

If you are interested in potentially working with us and sponsoring a child, PLEASE post here or send me a message.

Looking forward to blogging again and hope all are enjoying the Christmas time with their family!

Considering adopting an older child? Read this

Friends of ours through our adoption agency and our Yahoo Group posted this short and powerful post on their blog. Had to share it!! Thanks Raymer's for being awesome parents.

Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Nice Mommy and Daddy

If you need a reason to consider adoption, particularly to adopt older children, I submit the following two stories that are brought to you courtesy of Feromsa:

1. Out of the blue Feromsa began to discuss being at Kids Care Orphanage. In this discussion he made this comment, "In Kids Care I pray, 'Please give me nice mommy and nice daddy' and now I have nice Mommy and nice Daddy!"

2. In another discussion about being in Kids Care Feromsa offered this observation, "The big kids know that people don't want them. They want the little kids. I was scared I too big."

I don't think any commentary is necessary.

To read more of their story, follow their blog here

Well, I asked.......

Gotta love the beach, corn rows and a cute bathing suit!!!!!

Asleep in her high chair...hee hee

She love that daddy of hers. When she is with him, I need to BACK OFF, she shake her finger at me and tells me "no no"!

We both just woke up.....I love that lovey cuddly time

"Sitting on the dock of the bay"- and fishing.....and crabbing!

So several posts ago I titled it "Lord Expand My Territory". Well, both Pete and I have been praying for some time now as to how and what He will lead us to. For a little while we wondered if we should move to Africa for a year or so and just DO. We continued to pray and we have definately heard His answer on a few things.

#1. WE ARE ADOPTING AGAIN!!!!! Yeah, we have begun the paperwork and are going back to Ethiopia for a baby boy!!! We are so excited and always knew we would be going back again to adopt another child, but it feels really good to be actually in the "chase" again. His name will be Mathew, or Matty as we have been referring to him.

#2. We are committed to finding an orphanage to sponsor and support (with our friends and family......YES THAT MEANS YOU!). We have been working and talking with Tom Davis and his team at Children's Hopechest for some time now and we are hoping that on their next trip, we will, or God will direct us to the place that we will be involved with. We will be following up with more on this towards the end of the year.

#3. We realized we would be able to do more by not actually moving to Ethiopia, but to leverage and gain as much support and help from our network here that we can make a huge difference there.....BUT we believe that money alone does not do the job, our hands and feet and eyes and arms to hold and hug and love need to be in action.........so Pete has felt called to go on a trip to do just this. He will be traveling with Tom Davis in November to Ethiopia for a vision trip. God willing he will get to see and meet the children of the orphanage that we will be sponsoring and greater than that, will be able to love on and give to as many children he can come in contact with. We laugh though, because as anyone who has been to Ethiopia knows, we think we are going to give hope and to give love and to give the word of Jesus..........while in the end we end up getting so much more. Between you and me :) I think Pete will come back even more changed and even more convicted than we are now. So, stand by as he will be creating a blog for his trip.....and anyone with referrals around that time who want some pics and love delivered to their child.....he will be visiting the Transitional home!

So, maybe this means I will actually start updating my blog again on a more regular basis. I hope~ and I hope that you follow along as we could use many prayers as we follow our passion and the mission we feel we are being ever more called to.

Now that I dropped all that on you, I am heading off to tuck 3 sweet peas into bed and pray for the 4th!