Two Fewer Orphans

As of Friday morning, there are 2 fewer orphans in the world. We passed court. Our leading up to passing court went something like this:

1. January 12--not our actual court date

2. January 20--were approved for adoption but didn't pass officially because of an amendment needed in the girls' history

3. February 8--the date given for our next court time

4. January 25--an email arrived that said we passed

5. January 25--another email arrived that said we were expected to pass but hadn't officially

6. January 26--our documents were resubmitted

7. January 28--our documents were not all in order and more needed to be sent from the girls' birth region

8. January 29, 6:30 a.m.--I give up on our adoption and tell God that I'm just not going to think about it anymore and He can let me know when anything is actually going to happen.

9. January 29, 11:00 a.m.--We pass court. The girls are ours. They have our last name. They are no longer orphans.

I have now packed their suitcase. I began to pack mine until Joel begged me not to make him help me during the same time he was also planning a run down the St. Croix.

I am emailing my new friend Trent at Velocity Tours in Utah for flight information.

We can call the girls by their American names but we find ourselves unable to. I think we have grown rather fond of their Ethiopian names even though we don't plan to keep them.

Ever since we passed court, I have had a cheesy 1980 something love song stuck in my head. It's not even grammatically correct.

"Two less lonely people in the world, and it's going to be fine.

Out of all the people in the world, I just can't believe you're mine.

In my life where everything was wrong, something finally went right.

Now there's two less lonely people in the world tonight."

Unbelievable. I have not heard this song since I was in high school? Junior high? It's on a loop in my head, just this verse. Every time it loops back, I wish they sang "fewer" even though it doesn't sound as good. Everything in my life was not wrong either. Apparently when I get a verse stuck, I don't get to edit out the parts with which I do not agree.

This week I should be able to know my embassy date. It will likely be about 4-6 weeks from now; I will travel in 3-5 weeks.

God is good.

More Waiting and Random Thoughts

We're still waiting, hoping to hear soon that our court documents have been amended, we can pass court and get an embassy date. I'm wondering if an email to adoption agency that pleads for the March 11th date would work when I explain that I will miss my daughter's 16th birthday if I have to go for the March 25th date.

Emma has a couple life changing plans due to come true on her 16th birthday: pick up job applications, paint her room and get her ears pierced.

Levi's plans are not quite as lofty, and, by the way, there are no blueberries nor Atomic Fireballs at Walmart, Target nor Cub. He got a big Hershey bar, 2 packages of gum, 3 bottles of Gatorade (blue, to simulate the absent berries), 2 soccer shirts and a used desk chair from Ikea that is bright red. It can simulate the absent fireballs.

I'm bad at waiting. Gaining endurance (from my self induced suffering) is not all that attractive to me. I am not all that attractive to me. Good thing there's the book of Isaiah. I'm reading through all the chapters that have headings like: "God Restores Israel;" "God Redeems His People;" "God Shows Mercy." It gets me out of the "Bitterness and Gall in Which Marty Tends to Wallow." Please pray for my patience. For my trust. For my hope. For my desire to continue. For my belief in His promises and perfect timing and perfect love that triumph over everything. Thank you.

Observations from Today

1. I am really glad my daughter is home.

2. I am really glad my daughter went to Ethiopia.

3. I have really, really cute girls in Ethiopia.

4. I really want to go to Ethiopia.

Finally, my coffee thermos was right in front of me... until I started looking for it.

Some Things I Wish I Could Do

1. Knit

2. Learn Swedish by reading an Ikea catalog

3. Construct a mudroom

4. Build a shower

5. Decorate rooms that would say to someone: Pottery Barn meets Frank Lloyd Wright meets Restoration Hardware.

6. Mimic wildlife noises so that, at any given time, I could call a fox, deer, turkey or owl to my kitchen window.

7. Transport myself to Ethiopia

8. Be married to the Embassy Official who gives out visas. (unless it's a woman)

There is a lot of wishing and waiting with an international adoption. It can and has made me crazy. Here, though, is a great anchor for my soul that I found today:

"But there the Lord in majesty will be for us a place of broad rivers and streams...For the Lord is our judge; the Lord is our lawgiver; the Lord is our king; He will save us." Is. 33:21-22

Post Christmas Birthday

Levi's birthday is in January. Unfortunately, I usually still feel a little "presented-out" even though it's been a month. This year I decided that I would be intentionally alert for gifts, big or small, that seemed like something Levi would enjoy.

I have not had much success. Now I know why.

The other morning at breakfast, we were having blueberries. Actually, I was having blueberry; Levi was eating them almost by the handfuls.

"You really like these, don't you?" I asked astutely, not even with my Birthday Radar on.

"It would be so fun to have my own package of these for my birthday," Levi replied. "I'd also like my own Atomic Fireballs."

No wonder the Target toy aisle seemed so pointless.

Yes, But Not Yet

We received what I believe to be very good news this morning though it has one little string attached. The court gave a "very positive recommendation" to our adoption but there is some additional history that needs to be recorded in our girls' file. This additional info has to be done before we can get the adoption decree. We need the adoption decree for an embassy date so the possibility seems to be this: February 8th, additional court hearing; March 11, embassy date; March 5 or 6 travel.

I got two new pictures of our girls today which are very timely and make me almost incapable of doing anything but staring at my computer.

Emma called from Ethiopia. She is feeling more homesick now, in addition to be exhausted. She got to see our girls this morning--was allowed to give the baby a bottle and hold her for about 10 minutes and let our 2 year old see a video we had taken on the way to the airport. The video seemed to be a big hit both with our daughter and with the nannies who were translating who everyone was. While Lemlem had been afraid of Emma at first, she warmed up after watching the video 8 times (according to Emma) and then even giggled when she pushed the wrong button on the camera.

So we wait for a little longer, but we wait with great hope. I'll have to tell my eyelids. They seem to have chosen to deal with all this by puffing up to twice their normal size. I'll also have to tell the left side of my head. It wants to break off and shatter. I'll also give the heads up to my attention span. It has left me permanantly.

So Glad I Homeschool

Eli gets to go on a trip to New York City with his grandparents. We were talking about what he might like to see. He thought the "big green lady with the fire stick" looked cool.

I scanned my memories and knowledge of NYC for green ladies with fire sticks. Central Park statue? street performer? portrait at the Museum of Modern Art?

No.

The Statue of Liberty.

You go, Big Green Lady With the Fire Stick.