Sitting in Dulles airport waiting to fly....

So here we are, sitting in DC waiting to board the flight I have been waiting on for 17 months. Yoseph just turned 19 months Sunday and I can hardly wait to see him. I know he won't have the same reaction as I when we meet, and I am trying to prepare myself for that. What will his little personality be like?

Have you ever had to wait for a really long time for something to happen in your life? I would love to know what it is and how you felt when it finally happened. I am so thankful for many things this Thanksgiving season. I guess it all comes down to His Timing in my life. I thankful that God did not give me my way these past two years. If He would have, then I would not have the perfect childcare set up and I wouldn't be traveling over a holiday. It is all working out for my good. I hope and pray the same is true for Yoseph.

I will try to update on the trip, but it might be through facebook. Thank you all for your prayers. I am on my way Lil' Yo!

11 days

My time has come...

Yes people, we are officially waiting for the court date count down. I will be marking my calendar with the big red X's until Nov. 30th. I have a court date for Yoseph!!! It has taken a little more than 15 months to get this assigned, but it is finally here. I had a friend text me that having to wait this long will only make it sweeter in the end. I think he may very well be correct.

I went to Seabrook Island for the weekend with my friend Heather. We both took Monday off so that we could spend all of Sunday on the island with her brother and his wife. It was such a beautiful weekend. I actually wanted to go for a couple of selfish reasons 1) I love the beach and was missing the sun and ocean 2) I was losing my focus on God and needed some serious down time to get back on track. The beach does that for me.

I don't know why, but something about the nature and water always brings me back to my Creator. It allows me to see how He lavishes His love on me to let me experience the buck in the marsh or the dolphin in the ocean. We had a near mishap with a buck this weekend that is a very funny story when told by me and not Heather. Needless to say...it was a time of reflection on what God is doing in my life.

I will have to say that I was giving myself a pity party this week. I was so disappointed when I didn't get a court date this week. I just knew it was going to happen. Again, not my timing, but His.

So as we are leaving the island, my phone rings and I do not recognize the number. I say out loud, "This might be Lisa P. calling me, so I am going to pick it up." (The music was loud and we had the windows down...this is usual protocol for entering and leaving the island) :0) So the music goes down and believe it or not, it was her! With alot of screaming and saying "Are you serious?!" she said those great words YOU HAVE A COURT DATE!!! I have been waiting to hear those words for a looooooooong time.

God is perfect.

Let the Redeemed of the Lord Say So

This is the title of a song we sang a couple of weeks ago when I was helping with worship. It is so good! They sang it again this weekend. It is ringing around in my head as I type. I am redeemed, I am redeemed...So what does it mean? Something that was of no value has now been considered worthy and of value. It has worth. Only through the blood of Jesus Christ are we redeemed. Thank you God for that redemption. It is nothing on my part, but all on yours.
Needless to say, worship was great this weekend. Well done Forest Hill!

Looking forward to hearing some news about a court date. Courts have been open for almost a week now. I have been in touch with my agency and with my contact in Addis Ababa. My friend, Charity, is over there right now with her husband. They get to meet their little girl tomorrow. She is going to take lots of pictures of Yoseph for me. I am so excited about getting to meet him face to face.

God is Perfect!

Playing soccer with his friends...

This was the latest update I received on Yoseph. He is watching tv and playing soccer with his friends. Muluken is on vacay until the 28th, so I won't be getting an update until then from him. I had heard that courts will open on the 21st from my social worker state side. Let's hope I hear something this week.

I have met so many different people through this process! The Roach and Baum family are traveling this weekend to head over to Addis Ababa. They are even on the same flight. Isn't that cool? They just met each other via facebook. Facebook has been a great thing during this adoption process. Never thought I would be so thankful for technology. :)

So I hear that Ethiopia just celebrated a New Year and it is now 2003 over there? Not sure how all of that works out, but very interesting. Happy New Year Yoseph!!!

I can hardly wait to meet you. Travel safe all of my new friends!

What happened to his curls?

Well, here is my latest photo of Yoseph and his new hair cut. He looks like a little boy now. I can't believe how cutting his curls makes him look so much older. Speaking of getting older, he is turning 16months old tomorrow. I can't believe that I have know him for 14 months of his life. I can hardly wait to finally hold him and kiss those beautiful eyes!

I have made a great connection at my orphanage in Addis named Muluken. The Henderson family told me of him and he sent me this photo and Yoseph's diet plan yesterday. I feel extremely blessed to have this connection and the information that was provided through Muluken. Facebook has been our connection. I never thought I would be this happy to be on facebook. :)

Apparently he is smaller than I think he is. They said he is wearing 12 month old clothing. He looks so much bigger in the pictures I have seen in the past. Muluken also told me that I should be getting a court date in Oct. , so keep the prayers coming everyone. I am sorry to not have written earlier. Things have been hectic with school starting this week.

This is going to be a great year in fifth grade at CCS. I love my homeroom and the students that rotate in for math. This group of kids are so kind and sweet to one another. Very grateful for my job and a place to minister to young people. God is perfect...

Summer time and the livin' is easy

I am back down at Seabrook Island with Heather for a week of sun and rest. We celebrated Heather's birthday on Monday by spending the day on the beach, eating seafood for dinner and then a movie at a trendy little theatre on Maybank Highway. All in all, it was a great day. Of course I was waiting to hear something from Lisa all day long.

I have prolonged writing this update, because I wanted to tell the www that I had a court date. Well...not yet. Keeping the faith and not allowing my joy to be stolen. I keep thinking about how God has stretched me in this whole process. I am so ready to get my hands on Yoseph. I do feel like this will all happen in His perfect timing and not in mine. It is hard at times to trust that promise.


When I am down at the island, I often think about my dad. He loved spending time on the river and any time I am near water, I think about him. He was such a wonderful dad. I am so grateful for his example and how he left his imprint on my heart. I will never forget him.

So many things to be thankful for. God is perfect!