1 Year

One year ago today, Bret and I submitted our application to adopt from Children's Hope International's (CHI) Ethiopia Adoption Program.

Bret and I showing off our adoption application on June 30, 2010. 
Standing in front of a Mike Black original panting. 
Checkout his work at http://www.mikeblackart.com/

Officially making the decision to adopt from Ethiopia was a very significant time in our lives. Looking back, I remember our days being filled with excitement, hope and nervousness ... we fought through our fears and overcame our inhibitions to embrace our faith and our love for one another through adoption.

I remember it well. We were getting ready to leave for a big family vacation with my parents, aunts, uncles, cousins, sister and brother to Myrtle Beach, S.C. We decided to mail our application the day before we left, thinking the vacation would keep our minds occupied while our application was being reviewed. I think this would have been a good idea, if we hadn't spilled the beans about our decision to adopt with our family during our vacation, we were just too excited to keep it in!

As soon as we hit the road home to Kentucky from Myrtle Beach we got a call from CHI's Ethiopia Program Director telling us that we had been accepted into the Ethiopia Adoption Program. WE WERE ELATED! She emailed us paperwork to get the process started and we were so anxious to get the ball rolling that we started and finished the paperwork on the drive home. 

We've come a long way in A YEAR. We've grown so much spiritually and emotionally. I can honestly say, we are thankful for each and every thing that has transpired in our lives to lead us to the place we stand today, waiting for our daughter. 

This year we're sitting out the family vacation (have fun everyone, we'll miss you!) and instead focusing on saving money and vacation time for our two trips to Ethiopia and our maternity leave . We do have a nice staycation planned on Nolin Lake (in a just few weeks) which we're really looking forward to - it will be a welcomed change of pace.

Maybe, just maybe we'll have a referral photo to stare at by then : )

Praise The Lord! A New Number!

We are now number:

Two referrals were given out TODAY!!! One referral was given out for a 4 month old BABY GIRL, the family waited 7.5 months, we've been waiting 7 months and 1 week. The second referral was given out for a 13.5 month old baby boy who's family waited 7 months. We know numbers 1-5 on the wait list are waiting for siblings BUT we know nothing about numbers 6-11 on the wait list (hopefully they're waiting for boys ... right?!).

If you're thinking that I sound a little obsessed, you're right, I am. The wait is weighing on us and we want to see our daughter more than you know. We feel in our hearts that our time is near and that feeling is stirring up a desire to see her that much more. We pray for peace and patience everyday, please continue to lift us up in prayer. It means the world to us!

Have a wonderful weekend!

A Day of Celebration

Today we celebrate being on the wait list for:

7 MONTHS

My mom Schivon celebrating the 7 months of waiting that is now behind us.

The last families to receive referrals with our adoption agency waited within the 7 month range so we are hopeful that God's timing is near. As each new week approaches we are optimistic. Please continue to pray for us to have strength and faith as we wait to see the face of our sweet baby girl for the first time.This is our daily prayer.

In addition to today being our 7 month wait list anniversary, today is also Father's Day and although Bret is not "officially" a father yet, he is in his heart. So to honor him and his dedication to our baby girl, I got him these special gifts:

This shirt that says, "Dad" in Amharic (the official language of Ethiopia).

AND a picture frame for his desk at work to put "her" referral picture in.

Happy Father's Day to all the other waiting and adoptive dad's out there. You are all very special men and your children and wives are blessed to have you!

African Kebabs

Bret and I loved these marinated vegetable kebabs!! They were so good we had to share the recipe. We substituted some of the suggested ingredients just because they were hard to find at our local grocery store and some were hard to find given the season. The kebabs are delicious and can be served as a main dish with rice or as a vegetable side dish.

Ingredients

Serves 4

4 oz pumpkin (we did not use the pumpkin but we hope to in the fall)

1 red onion

1 small courgette (could not find courgette at our local grocery store)

1 ripe plantain

1 aubergine (could not find aubergine at our local grocery store)

1/2 red  pepper, seeded

1/2 green pepper, seeded

12 button mushrooms

4 tbsp lemon juice

4 tbsp olive oil

3-4 tbsp soy sauce

2/3 cup tomato juice

1 green chili, seeded and chopped

1/2 onion, granted 

3 garlic cloves, crushed

1 1/2 dried tarragon

3/4 tsp dried basil

3/4 tsp dried thyme 

3/4 ground cinnamon

2 tbsp butter or margarine

1 1/4 cups vegetable stock

freshly ground black pepper   

1 Peel and cube the pumpkin, place in a small bowl and cover with boiling water. Blanch for 2-3 minutes, then drain and refresh under cold water. 

2 Cut the onion into wedges, slice the courgette and plantain and cut the aubergine and red and green peppers into chunks. Trim the mushrooms. Place the vegetable including the pumpkin in a large bowl.

3 Mix together the lemon juice, oil, soy sauce, tomato juice, chili, grated onion, garlic, herbs, cinnamon and black pepper and pour over the vegetables. Toss together and then set aside in a cool place to marinate for 2-3 hrs.

4 Thread the vegetables on to eight skewers, using a variety of vegetables on each skewer to make a colorful display. Preheat the grill.

5 Grill the vegetables on a low heat, for about 15 minutes, turning frequently, until golden brown, basting with the marinade to keep the vegetables moist.

6 Place the remaining marinade, butter or margarine and stock in a pan and simmer for 10 minutes to cook the onion and reduce the sauce.

7 Pour the sauce into a serving jug and arrange the vegetable skewers on a plate.

ENJOY!

Another New Number

I guess I posted too soon this morning because we moved up again today! Another referral for a 2 month old baby girl was given out to a family that waited 7 months. Now every time our phone rings over the next few weeks we'll be flinching thinking it's "the call" ... we're so very close. Keep your referral day guesses coming we're having fun with them!

P.S. Thanks for the prayers, they're working!

                                                 

WE'RE NOW #14!

New Number

"Ahhh!" These were the sounds heard throughout our house last night at 10:00pm when we found out that a referral for a 2 month old baby girl was given out yesterday to a family that was #8 on the waiting list. The family waited 7 months and we've been waiting 6 months and 3 weeks (not that anyone's keeping track, lol).

When we joined the waiting list in November I said, I felt like we'd get our referral in late June or July and it looks like it could really be a possibility! Please join us in prayer for our referral. We are so ready to see the face that GOD has imprinted on our hearts!

Just for fun and bragging rights, submit the date that you think we'll get our referral in the comments below. I'll post them on our blog and we'll see who the winner is in the coming weeks ... "Ahhh!"

We're #15!

Pay It Forward!

The Chase Family (another CHI family adopting from Ethiopia) is hosting an online adoption fund raising auction Friday, June 3 - Friday, June 10th. They've been posting a lot of cute "teasers" this week.
Go check it out! Happy Bidding!!!