Serenity? Yes, please. And make that a double!!!

      Ok, Ok! I know it has been FOREVER since my last post! I will update now, on this rare Friday night when I am off work and without any obligations. One kid is in bed dreaming sweet princess dreams, one is watching a new series with his dad on Netflix, two (one real kid, one borrowed kid) are blowing things up on the Xbox and one is frantically cleaning the ENTIRE house (to his mother's standards) in order to earn back his phone....all while I sit here, feeling incredibly blessed (and guilty over the Chai Tea milkshake I had tonight). Things are good, really good here. Wanna know why? Sure, I'll tell ya!
      First, we are the proud parents-to-be (so tacky, I know) of a beautiful, gorgeous, stunning 6 month old baby girl in Ethiopia!! Referral day was May 16, 2011! What a crazy, emotional day THAT was!! I have been addicted to her three little pictures. Staring, wondering what she looks like now, what her personality is, what she is doing at different times of the day :-) I just can't get enough! We have been debating how to spell her name, and what middle name(s) to give her. I'm sure by the time she walks across the stage at her high school graduation, Sten and I will have come to an agreement! 

     Second, Sten has had enough overtime and travel with his work to cover the BFC (Big Fat Check) that accompanied our referral acceptance that we did not have to plan the 5K race fundraiser. I am SO not the type to fundraise, not sure why...it's not like it's begging. If people don't believe in the cause, then no biggie. But still, I feel funny. I guess that stems from the earner trait that was embedded in me from my childhood days, having the biggest paper route in town! Well, we earned the money for the check AND Sten has traveled enough that we now have miles to cover all legs of our 2 trips to and from Ethiopia! BLESSED? I think so!!
    Third, and most magnificent, my spiritual journey is ON FIRE! Over the past year, I have grown so close to God, that sometimes, I just talk out loud to him. Right here. In my little world, I am renewed. I have had prayer after prayer answered throughout this adoption and my whole "I think I'll get sick and try to croak episode". It is quite incredible!
     Fourth, my best friend in the whole wide world (Jess) is having a baby girl in October and I am thrilled that we can be on this journey of "pregnancy" together! She has been such a rock for me during all of this, that I am certain I would be in a psych ward somewhere right now if not for her talking me down off of every I-can't-do-this-any-longer-cliff!! I lub you, Jess!!
  And lastly, I did a last minute vitamin drive this morning and had pretty great results. My friend from FMH, Renee, is traveling to Ethiopia tomorrow and has permission to travel to the House of Hope transition house where baby will soon be moved until we bring her home! Renee is going to deliver:
 16 large bottles of Infant drop Vitamins
 Oodles of Desiting
 Oodles of Hydrocortisone
 Oodles of Neosporin
 4 huge bottles of Gummi Vites for the big kids
 and some small toys for the bigger kids, too!!!


Yay for generous hearts!!


    So, there! A short list of the million reasons why things are GRRRREAT right now!!

That was the "Good", now this is the "Bad and the Ugly" :
     I am obsessing over dates, numbers and data. I am praying day and night that we get a court date before the courts close in August. (So, every year from mid August to beginning of October, the court system in ET closes due to the rainy season. The roads become impassable and therefore, they close them down. It is also surrounding their celebration of the New Year, so people take vacation then, too.) So, if we don't get a court date before closure, we won't get a date until October and then won't bring her home for another 5 or so weeks after that! UGh! But, if we do make it to court before the closure, the Embassy remains open during that time, so we can travel back within the 5 weeks to attend our Embassy appointment and BRING HER HOME!!!!!!!!!! 
    Please pray specifically that all of the dates line up and we can bring Baby Girl home in September!! God is so mighty that NOTHING is impossible for Him! I know this is true and I trust Him. Yet, I continue to stress....After I realized we were next on the list for referral, I started with this same ridiculous behavior and it took me about 3 weeks to finally settle into a peace and knowing that this is so far out of my hands, there is no point in stressing. Like my sister Krissy says "God's got your back!" and boy, does he ever!!


So, that's it. I am still me, just sporting a new "do", still 20 pounds overweight and a nervous wreck over all of this stuff I have no control over!!!! Serenity? Yes, please!!!  :-)