We need your prayers!

The embassy lost our visa approval for E2, so everything is on hold until they find it or another copy is sent which could take a month or so. I am so upset I am completely beyond words. In an instant we went from traveling in a couple weeks to postponed for who knows how long.

Its Wednesday afternoon, do you know where your son is??

Well J, E1, and I do. E2 is in Addis Ababa, and HE'S WAITING FOR US TO COME GET HIM!!

WE CLEARED COURT !!!

In the eyes of the Ethiopian government, we are now E2's parents. On May 28th, we have an appointment at the US Embassy to finalize E2's US visa, and then we will be on are way back home...

...sigh...

...for the first time as a party of FOUR!!!

More news to come, but now I've got to get back to the phones and keep calling our family and friends. We're soooo excited. Thank you to everyone who has kept us in your thoughts and prayers. We still need you though, as we're now in home stretch ...

Peace

No news yet..

Its early still, only 8:35 am. However is it April 23rd, and as many who have been following along know, today is E2's court date. It is about 4:35pm in Addis Ababa (they are 8 hours ahead of us). It was mentioned that we may find out the results today or shortly thereafter. We will keep you all posted.

In the meantime, its time for another Reading of the day. This reading came up while reading the "One Bread, One Body" daily reflections. With the recent death of a relative of someone I know, and the diagnosis of cancer of someone close to me, and with the the questions and uncertainties around adoption, I thought this reading hit home.

Reading of the Day...

1 Corinthians 10:13
No trial has come to you but what is human. God is faithful and will not let you be tried beyond your strength; but with the trial he will also provide a way out, so that you may be able to bear it.

Peace

Ouch, Thats Hurts (As E1 would say)

Yes, I finally did it, after all my close calls with almost stepping on nails, almost taking a nail to the head, almost cutting off my finger during the tile cutting, just as I could finally see the light of day at the end of our remodel with the final coat of polyurathane drying, 75% of the mulch laid and the family room rug rolled up in the foyer ready to be laid out, I fell down the stairs and sprained my ankle! I thought for sure something broke after hearing snaping and cracking on the way down, but after a few minutes on the couch, I started walking around and moving furnature back into the family room. It swelled up quite a bit, but by the time I went to the doctor on Monday, she said I didn't even need x-rays, it was just a sprain! Maybe it was just the Lord telling me to SLOW DOWN! I have been taking it a bit easy, and rested a few days before continuing the work on the painting of E2's room. The hardest part on the ankle was the long periods of standing and treking painting materials up and down the stairs. Eventually, I gave in and just started washing out the brushes in the upstairs bathroom to limit the trips. It was pretty sore after Saturday this past weekend, but seemed to be a bit better Sunday.

The nursery is really starting to take shape, my sis is coming to get her bed out of the room that we have been storing and I got a great deal on a rug for the floor that is in the mail. So far, I have one wall with a mural that is a take off from an Addis artist of fishermen on the shoreline. The next wall has E's name in Amharic which I hope to put an Ethiopian cross by. The next wall has a few traditional homes and hopefully some donkey's carrying straw (this one is still in progress) and the last wall has a woman carrying firewood through her gate (take off from Ethiopia Reads book). All along the top is the colors of the Ethiopian Flag. As we did with E1's room, we hope to bring some things back from Ethiopia to add to the decor, but for now, I think we have a great starting point. I will be sure to post some pictures when we get the room cleared out a bit!

Leave it to the Romans

Well actually leave it to Paul in a letter to the Romans. As I was preparing for our last Spring session of "Why Catholic", we were referred this reading from Paul to the Romans. We were asked to reflect on its significance to us. Perhaps corny sounding to some, to me, just like the Reading of the day from the last post, its got a lot of "depth". So without further delay...

Reading of the day...

Romans 8:38
For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor present things, nor future things, nor powers,

nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord

Peace

ps: only 24 days until the first race of the year. The Great Western 1/2 marathon. Training is going well, although tad bit of over training as the calves and hamstrings are pretty tight now.

All is quiet on the Western Front...

A friend shared this verse with me today. I found it nice, comforting in fact, so its high time to post another "Reading of the day"... Enjoy

..and lets all remember that out ...there... (waving a hands in a circle to reflect all the world around us) even though we may not always pray, or keep our thoughts on others, or even when we get ensnared in our own worlds, there are always people thinking about us, praying for us...

...and we can take comfort in that. For we never walk alone.

Reading of the day...

Hebrews 4:14-16
since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast to our confession.

For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has similarly been tested in every way, yet without sin.

So let us confidently approach the throne of grace to receive mercy and to find grace for timely help

Peace

Time and Miles tick by..

As we await the result of E2's court date on April 23rd, I thought it was high time to update our Destination Addis journey. Especially now that springlike weather has finally arrived.

Destination Addis is displayed on the right hand side of the blog. Our family tracks our mileage, whether its running, walking, swimming, biking. From Chicago, its 7,563 miles to Addis Ababa. Unlike with E1, Destination Guatemala, was quite a bit easier at only 1,888 miles. We could actually go there and back. I thinking simply getting there, would be an amazing feat. Destination Addis is more than just simple exercise, its a way to help us pass the long slow months of the adoption process. Its a sort of therapy I suppose.

Anyway, its not been updated in some time. As we have just crossed the 4100 mark, we figured its time for an update. Only 3446 miles to go...

It's Official!

Our Court date is April 23! We will find out either that day or shortly after if we pass, if we pass we will be contacted by our agency with travel dates! Yippeee!

Is it Redish Orange or Orangish Red?

Either way, the sticker, flag and sweatshirt I have with the Ethiopian flag all look orange to me, the color is, however, red, Rodeo Red to be exact according to the Behr color match EYE. Which of, course, is an orangish red. What it means is that my first attempt to match the color was way too orange, so back to the Home Depot for another quart of paint. I hope I get it right, eventually!