We are leaving!!!!

We got word this morning that we have been approved to travel!!! We leave tonight for D.C. then on to Ethiopia in the morning. This is beyond short notice!!! A friend told me we would find out at the eleventh hour and she was right. Thank you for all of your prayers. We are looking forward to introducing you to Jonah Tyler. Thankfully we had family on stand-by so the house, kids, and dogs will be well taken care of.

Seriously?

Lately I have noticed that I say "Seriously?" quite a bit. When my kids do something stupid...seriously? When another snow day is called....seriously? When the dogs get mud all over my kitchen floor....seriously? When we received no news from the US Embassy on Tuesday of this week...seriously?

While some members of my family may get annoyed with my use of this word, I think it accurately reflects my feelings at that moment. Sometimes "seriously?" is addressed to a particular person such as a child who forgets to put on their shoes for school other times it is directed at God. When directed at the Creator it is a condensed version of "Really another thing is going wrong? I would like something to go right, please."

Reasons I like the word:
1. Is not and does not sound like a bad word
2. Can be directed at myself or someone else
3. Makes me feel better

So when Tuesday ended with no travel approval, you can guess who "Seriously?" was directed at...God and the US Embassy. We would very much like some GOOD NEWS this week. Needless to say my stress level is very high which is good for my waist line (I've lost 10 pounds) but bad for my sanity.

I am thankful for everyone praying for us and the donations we have received to take to Ethiopia when we do go.

A Rough Week

This week has been very hard on me. On Wednesday my Grandfather passed away, leaving my heart with a hole that won't be filled until I see him again in heaven. He was a spunky caring man who always put his family first. It is difficult knowing that I can't just pick up the phone and call him. Over the past ten years him and I had developed a special bond that I will miss greatly.

We are awaiting clearance from the US Embassy to travel to get Jonah Tyler. This could come anytime before next Friday, which is when we would have to leave. We are praying for an Embassy date of Jan 25th. Your prayers are appreciated.

Good News

On Monday evening we received a phone call from our case worker, Ben, way after office hours. He told us that the CWAE office received the new more detailed police report the Embassy had requested. They are actively translating it and getting our documents prepared to be submitted to the US Embassy on 1/11!!! If our paperwork is okay we could travel for our agency's next Embassy date on 1/25. This puts us leaving on 1/21!!! YAY!!! We are optimistic that those dates will work out and Jonah will be in our arms by the end of January. Please continue to pray that he remains healthy and safe, as well as for an Embassy date of 1/25/11.

Feeling Defeated

When I woke up this morning I was hopeful that we would get good news about our Embassy Date. It is now the end of business for our agency...a whole lotta nothing!!!! I am upset because we have not heard anything about our son or his case in two weeks. My feelings are a mixture of anxiousness, concern, anger, and sadness. We would like to know what is going on and where his case stands, most of all we want him home safe with us.

I could go on and on about how bummed out I"m feeling right now, instead I will post some pics of our boy.