Well, it's been more than 2 years since the boys came home. They are doing very well, healthy happy and blessing their family everyday. We cannot amagine life with out them!
Evan-Michael is a beautiful smart and out-going little boy. At three years old, he has been busy trying to keep up with four year old Amelia! We love his passionate heart, and willingness to help.
Yosiah is our sweet teddy bear. Big, tough, but oh so cuddly! Who could help but love those big brown eyes? He is a wonderful big brother, and is always eager to teach them "big boy stuff"!
Pictures from left to right: Evan-Michael, Caleb-Daniel, Jeshua, and Yosiah
This has been the BIG question we are being asked by everyone so I though I would explain the process here. Here are the steps involved in the process.
§Our placement agency sends us hard copy of referral documents. (1 week)
§We return the signed acceptance document along with the applicable fees due.
§Our placement agency's staff in Ethiopia turns our dossier into MOWA (Ministry of Women's Affairs in Ethiopia).
§MOWA creates a dossier for the children, approves us, and generates a letter to the court system. (3 weeks-?)
§A court date is set. (4 weeks in the past though now has been much longer)
§Our placement agency's staff in Ethiopia makes sure all necessary documents are prepared prior to the court date.
§Court hears our case, approves, or if not, sets another court date which can be weeks or months later. Our power of attorney, the agency's facilitator is present for this.
§Court approves adoption.
§Our placement agency is notified of the status via their facilitator, who is our power of attorney.
§Our placement agency's staff in Ethiopia applies for the childrens' birth certificates and passports.
§Our placement agency's staff in Ethiopia schedules the VISA appointment at the US Ethiopian Embassy, once the BC and passport are generated. (4-6 weeks after court approval)
§Our placement agency notifies us of the appointment and we schedule our travel accordingly.
Our referral got approved by IAN's matchmaker today (well we know know who really does the matchmaking!). She made sure the referral met the criteria in our home study, signed off on it and then the referral acceptance letter was sent to us via email. Amazingly all that happened to day (why does God amaze me? He is so absolutely faithful!)when Samuel, who was on a business trip to Mexico, got home now. The papers have been signed, faxed to and received by our agency. It's official! Ethiopia will hear today that we WANT these boys to be OUR SONS!!!! God be praised for HIS goodness!!!
If you couldn't tell we are over the top excited! Our coordinator asked if it was ok for her to post the news on the agency blog and I think I busted her ear drum with a "You go girl!" Bronx, NY style!
I checked the blog out just a few minutes after our call with her and it was already posted! Here is the post:
Tuesday, March 3, 2009 (MORE) Waiting List Movement The number one family on the baby boy waiting list has accepted referrals for two wonderful boys. Everyone moves up one spot on the baby boy wait list!
Hannah-mama to 4 princesses and soon to be 2 princes! (not soon enough for me though!)
Of course I immediately sent the referral pictures we got of the boys to be printed out but I also immediately emailed a couple of the women who are traveling soon to Ethiopia. I gave them Eyob and Kenesa's names in hopes than if they see them at Sele Enat they can take pictures of them. Our coordinator told us a family who traveled a couple of weeks ago may have taken pictures of the boys. Though a long shot the agency is going through the pics to see if there are any. I hope there are!!!
Speaking of pictures you are probably asking yourself, "Why hasn't she posted any pictures of the boys?" You know I would love to BUT the Ethiopian government has asked that prospective adoptive parents not post pictures on the internet until the children are legally adopted and are in their custody. Even though this blog is private we really want to make sure we abide by the country's ruling. Sorry!
At EXACTLY 11:30 am (God has a wonderful sense of humor!) my cell phone rang. My daughter ran to get the phone and answered it.(Our coordinator actually thought she was me and began to tell her she had some information!)When my daughter gave me the phone, Sarah, told me they had received Kenesa’s medical but not his social background and would we be willing to see it?YEEEEEEEESSSSS!!I know I felt sure this baby was to be ours and I know I felt it would happen today BUT that did not take away from the wonderment of the moment.I felt as if I was on a cloud.As Sarah sent the email, I instant messaged Samuel to come down stairs and then gathered the girls to open it together.Refreshing my inbox a few times there it finally was, an email whose subject was “here you go” with a picture of a paper clip by it.How can something so wonderful come in such a unpresuming package?As I clicked on it I could feel my heart beating.Scrolling down we were all treated to the most precious face.His expression said, “I need you to come get me, hold me, and love me”.His sweet cheeks ready to be kissed and his arms ready to have a family to reach out for, we were all moved to a synchronized “AAAAAAH he’s SOOOOOOOOOOO cute!”.
As we gazed into his beautiful eyes my fingers began to make the rounds I had made only the day before, instant messaging my sister and mother.Of course they thought he was cute, who could not!For my SIL we devised a shcem that was a bit more involvedI quickly sent Kenesa’s photos to Costco and then my daughter reminded my SIL Yvonne that she needed to pick up Eyob’s photos at Costco.The plan worked perfectly and she called after checking the enveloped and knew she had been surprised!
We converted Kenesa’s stats and he is a peanut!
Weight 5.25 kg/11.46 pounds3-5th percentile
Length 61 cm/24 inches10-25th percentile
Head circum. 41cm-16.14 inches10-25th percentile
Weight for length<>rd percentile
As I spoke to Sarah later in the day I was told how Kenesa’s was indeed the only paperwork that had arrived overnight!I was not surprised but amazed and grateful by my Father’s handiwork!I asked what orphanage he was in and was once again blessed to hear he was at Sele Enat.Another answer to prayer.The boys are together!
The air charged with excitement, my heart is racing with a sweet anticipation which all can sense.After praying late last night my heart is persuaded, by faith, to expect God’s answer to prayer.
I wondered and calculated trying to figure out the time difference between Ethiopia and Colorado (when is our agency one mountain time when we live in NC!).Then my wondering turned to when our coordinator might be at the agency office, how long it took her to check her emails and then call us.I asked my husband to check the exact time she had called the previous day.11:30 exactly, our time.With that we went on with the business of the morning, though I am sure with hearts ready to burst.
